'Bad Boys 3' leading man Will Smith may not be returning to reprise his role as Mike Lowry and this sends doubts about the future of the buddy cop franchise. Despite the rumors, Sony is moving ahead choosing Joe Carnahan to pen the script. The writer/filmmaker may also be in talks to direct the sequel as Michael Bay will not be returning.
In an article by A.V. Club, Smith's involvement had been confirmed however it was unknown whether he will be on board to reprise his role as Detective Lt. Mike Lowrey - the other half of the comedic lead duo - or as a producer.
The action-comedy film series stars Smith and on-screen partner Martin Lawrence as Detective Lt. Marcus Burnett. The two play investigators of the Miami Police Department (MPD) and are assigned to the narcotics division to track down the movement of illegal substances within the city and apprehend unscrupulous individuals.
According to Inverse, Sony's chairman Tom Rothman finally announced that the sequel will come out on February 17, 2017. It was also revealed that a fourth installment in the franchise will follow on July 3, 2019. Since its predecessor came out last 2003, there had been speculations of numerous changes done to the cast and crew line-up. This includes director Michael Bay not returning to helm the planned films coming up.
Another article by Movie Pilot reported that Sony entrusted the multi-talented film maker Joe Carnahan with the task of writing the screenplay for the third film. It was also suggested that he may also be in negotiations to take Bay's place in the director's chair.
Carnahan exclaimed, "It has been a whopping twenty years since the original hit theaters back in 1995 and just over a decade since we last saw the comedic duo romping around Miami in Bad Boys 2 (2003). I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are more than ready for the next chapter from Mike Looooowrey and Marcus Burnett."
'Bad Boys 3' is an upcoming action-comedy in the widely popular franchise. Its predecessor was released in July 28, 2003 and earned $273 million against a $130 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo. Although the second film was widely panned by critics, it was still considered a mainstream financial success.
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