Bad Boys 4 is not just a return to the modern franchise but also a return for many of the original people responsible for the 1995 hit.
Coming just four years after the third movie in the prequel (pretty good going for the long-running movie series), Bad Boys 4 has already experienced some delays due to the SAG/AFTRA strikes but is now on the cards for this year.
Here’s a closer look at exactly when you’ll be able to see the film in theatres, as well as who and what it will feature.
When is Bad Boys 4 coming out?
At the moment, Bad Boys 4 is set to premiere on June 14, 2024, but that’s still far enough way to possibly be subject to delays.
After all, the most recent information we’ve had about the movie is an Instagram Reel from Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, with “Shake Ya Tailfeather” by Nelly, Diddy, and Murphy playing in the background (aka the soundtrack to Bad Boys 2).
This Reel was shared in January of 2023, leaving a pretty wide window for production to have taken place—although much of that will have been affected by the strikes.
Who’s in the cast of Bad Boys 4?
More is known about the cast, with lead stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence of course returning as the titular bad boy detectives Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett. Also returning are Vanessa Hudgens as Kelly, Alexander Ludwig as Dom, Paola Núñez as Captain Rita Secada, and DJ Khaled as Manny the Butcher.
John Salley, who plays hacker Fletcher in the first two Bad Boys films will be reprising his role for the fourth film, after being absent from the third film.
With such long gaps between films, there’s no surprise that there’s at least one recast, with Empire‘s Tasha Smith replacing Theresa Randle in the role of Marcus’ wife Theresa.
Other new faces joining the cast include Euphoria‘s Eric Dane as the film’s antagonist and Fantastic Four‘s Ioan Gruffudd as aspiring politician Lockwood. We also know that Better Call Saul‘s Rhea Seehorn and rapper Joyner Lucas will appear in as-yet undisclosed roles.
Bad Boys 4 has more familiar faces behind the scenes
There are also plenty of returning names taking up roles behind the camera as well, including directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who spearheaded the previous film, taking over from Michael Bay, the brains behind the first two.
Screenwriter Chris Bremner will also return to work with the directors once more, with new producers Jerry Bruckheimer, Will Smith, and Doug Belgrad.
What is Bad Boys 4 about?
From what people working on the film have said so far, Bad Boys 4 is set to be bigger, louder, and more colourful than ever before.
Speaking to Collider, the directors highlighted that the upcoming movie will center on the characters themselves, saying: “It’s the characters of his movies that are the reason why the audience loves to watch them.
“We went further and deeper on those character moments. Everything that we learned, in terms of camera movements and just directing on set, we tried to push ourselves and go even further.
“Sometimes we had some funky moments and funky shots that we didn’t try on the last one because it was maybe a little more classical. This time, we go more funky and more loco on this one.”
Without a trailer or description for the fourth film, we do have something else to go on for the split, seeing as one of the post-credits scenes from Bad Boys 4 Life depicts Armando Aretas aka Armando Lowrey, suggesting he’ll play a role in the upcoming film.
Armando, played by Jacob Scipio, was revealed to be the unknown son of Mike Lowery, so the conflict of a cop and a criminal son responsible for multiple deaths could be an interesting frame for Bad Boys 4.
For now, we’ll have to wait for a trailer or official promo to get a better sense of where the characters will go. Seeing as the film appears to be relying more on the characters and their stories than the Bay-esque explosions we’ve seen before, it should be something new for the franchise—although we’d still expect at least a few car chases and explosions thrown in at the same time. Would it really be a Bad Boys movie if there weren’t?
(featured image: Colombia Pictures)
