“Bad boys, bad boys, whenchu gonna do movie number 5?”
After the explosive and wildly unexpected success of 2024’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die, naturally, that is what’s on so many fans’ minds.
The Bad Boys franchise began in 1995. Directed by Michael Bay, the action comedy follows the travails of two Miami narcotics detectives and best buddies, Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Will Smith).
The film catapulted Smith and Lawrence into action hero superstardom, and it has since grown into the rare film series that ages like a fine wine – getting better and better reception with each passing year. Given the upward trajectory, it always feels like a new sequel is around the corner. After all, the franchise’s procedural nature lends itself to easy plot developments while its two stars have reiterated on multiple occasions their desires to continue playing their iconic roles.
Yet, things are apparently moving a little slowly on Bad Boys 5. Both Smith and Lawrence are currently busy with their respective projects, as are the rest of the cast. Behind the scenes, a major shakeup might change the fate of the franchise going forward.
All the while, Sony – the studio behind the film – remains committed to making the sequel (how could you not when the last one grossed over $400 million – four times its budget?)
Bad Boys, Good Investment
Very few IP revivals managed to do what Bad Boys did. Released a full 17 years after Bad Boys II, 2020’s Bad Boys for Life – directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah – made $426.5 million worldwide on a $90 million budget and earned strong audience acclaim.
The momentum carried right into Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) – again directed by the duo. That fourth film banked around $402 million globally and delivered what fans expected: smart-mouthed banter, big explosions, and the kind of bromantic energy only Smith and Lawrence can generate.
Given those results, the chatter about a fifth installment grew loud almost immediately.
When Are We Getting Bad Boys 5?
Back in 2023, co-director El Arbi expressed his desire to take the next chapter beyond the palm tree-lined streets of Miami.
“It’s got to go international. We’ve not seen the Bad Boys in London in Paris, or in Asia. So, we’re ready for it,” he told Screen Rant.
Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett chasing criminals down Champs-Élysées or across Piccadilly? How’s that for a refreshing change!
Yet Bad Boys 5 remains locked in development jail. In a recent interview reflecting on the franchise’s 25-year legacy, Martin Lawrence admits that while he thinks Bad Boys 5 needs to happen, he and Smith haven’t nailed down anything for the sequel, though the studio, Sony Pictures, is keen.
“It means a great deal to me because that was me and Will’s baby. You know, that’s what we started with. And to get four strong, successful films out of them, we couldn’t ask for much more. And hopefully, as long as the audience wants to see them, we’ll be able to put them out,” he said, adding: “Me and [Will Smith] haven’t talked about an idea or anything, but the studio is.”
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As for Smith, the actor has had a rollercoaster few years in Hollywood recently. We all remember the infamous Oscar slap incident in 2022 when the actor walked up to host Chris Rock and slapped him on live TV for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Though Smith won an Oscar for Best Actor later in the same night, he ended up resigning from the Academy and received a 10-year ban from all Academy-related events.
The incident dealt a huge blow to his career, forcing him to drop out of several projects and resulting in the delays of others, including Bad Boys: Ride or Die. That’s why the film’s eventual success came as a shock.
Many expected it to be impacted by Smith’s career meltdown – instead, audiences loved it even more than critics, giving it a 96% score on Tomatometer against its 65% critics' score, not a bad outcome in itself. Turns out people don’t care as much about two millionaire stars' beefing as Hollywood seems to think.
His public sentiment somewhat improved with the success of Ride or Die, and Smith slowly plotted his comeback, booking several projects. That counts the Netflix thriller Fast & Loose, a remake of Planes, Trains & Automobiles with Kevin Hart, and a sequel to I Am Legend. It’s clear he’s not slowing down – it’s just that Bad Boys might be several rows down the priority list for now.
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In June 2024, he told Entertainment Weekly that playing Mike has been “an absolute joy” and reiterated his interest in a fifth film as long as there’s a good reason for it.
“I never wanted to be one of those dudes who make sequels just because people will go [see it],” he said. “I want to make them because there is something to say and the characters have a place that they're developing to that will be interesting and fun to watch and maybe even a little helpful.”
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who spearheaded the franchise since its inception, echoed that sentiment, saying: “If we feel there’s more stories there, we’ll do it.”
He further stressed that a sequel completely hinges on its two stars.
“It’s a relationship between these two guys. And that’s why people show up,” he said. In short, the wheels will only start turning when Lawrence and Smith are ready for it.
What Bad Boys 5 Could Be
With El Arbi’s international aspirations and Mike and Marcus’ elite status in the drug-busting world, it’s easy to imagine Bad Boys 5 taking the duo beyond Miami.
Maybe they’re enlisted by a global task force, or a crime syndicate goes international, and the boys have to answer the call. Or perhaps, with Mike’s son Armando (Jacob Scipio) on the run at the end of the last film, he could set up a circumstance that would necessitate Mike and Marcus leaving the city to help him.
The possibilities are literally endless. Of course, wherever they go, it will still have to contain everything that audiences love about the franchise. Bruckheimer explained it best.
“What the audience wants is they want the same movie, but they want something different, so that’s really hard to do,” the producer said. “You try to give them the familiarity with the characters and the relationship and try to throw it into a new plot.”
One person who seems very unlikely to return: Michael Bay, the director of the first two films and a key figure responsible for setting up the franchise’s signature over-the-top style.
Despite no longer directing, he continued to be a presence in the movies, appearing in cameos in both Ride or Die and For Life. Recent reports say Bay and Smith had a falling out over creative differences on the set of Fast & Loose, leading to the former’s departure from the project.
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So, where does that leave Bad Boys 5?
The loyalty of the fanbase is there, the box-office metrics are solid, and the core duo has expressed interest. But until Smith and Lawrence find a story they both believe in, the sequel remains parked. Still, with the goodwill earned by the last installment, this next ride could be the biggest one yet.
In a world where buddy cop films often fade into cash grab sequels, Bad Boys keeps proving it can ride again.
So let’s leave it with Marcus Burnett’s words: “We ride together, we die together, bad boys for life.” And if that’s heading into a London fog or a Paris set-piece — or even further — who's complaining?
