Contrary to rumors of the project being put on hold, Sony chairman Tom Rothman assures the next installment in the Bad Boys franchise is still in development with Will Smith.
Speaking to Deadline, Rothman spoke about future installments of Sony film properties, including Ghostbusters, Jumanji, Uncharted and Spider-Man. But the elephant in the room was the status of Bad Boys 4 following the Oscars incident where franchise star Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage. When asked about the reports that Sony had "pumped the brakes" on the sequel's development, Rothman cleared the air. "No. That was inaccurate," he said. "That movie's been in development and still is. There weren't any brakes to pump because the car wasn’t moving."
At the 2022 Academy Awards, Smith slapped Rock after the comedian made an unscripted joke about the bald head of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith then returned to his seat and proceeded to yell at Rock from the audience. Smith went on to win the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard later that same night. Still, the incident resulted in Smith being banned from the Oscars for the next decade. In the aftermath of the controversial ceremony, some of Smith's projects were reportedly put on hold, including Bad Boys 4.
"That was a very unfortunate thing that happened, and I don't think it's really my place to comment, except to say that I've known Will Smith for many years, and I know him to be a good person," Rothman said of the incident. "That was an example of a very good person having a very bad moment, in front of the world. I believe his apology and regret is genuine, and I believe in forgiveness and redemption."
Originally released in 1995, Bad Boys is an action-comedy that transitioned Smith and co-star Martin Lawrence from TV sitcom stars to silver screen icons. Director Michael Bay, making his directorial debut at the time, recalled how Sony believed racism would hurt the film's chances at the box office. That was not the case, as Bad Boys grossed over $100 million worldwide. Its sequel, Bad Boys II, did even better with over $273 million worldwide. The latest entry in the series, Bad Boys for Life, was the highest-grossing movie in the U.S. before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Bad Boys 4 was announced shortly thereafter, with Chris Bremmer writing the script.
Bad Boys 4 has no release date.
Source: Deadline