Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have been Bad boys for almost 30 years. As they look back on the hit franchise as the fourth installment hits theaters, did they realize the dreams they were chasing were right before their eyes?
Smith shared the advice he would give to his younger self in 1995 when he first appeared Bad boys film premiered.
“It was just like our wildest dreams,” he told Yahoo Entertainment at the May 30 premiere in Los Angeles Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
“We were busy [the] set of Bad boys And [were] completely unaware that we were in an iconic moment,” said the actor and producer. “I would tell him, ‘Take it easy.'”
“We were looking at old photos of ourselves,” Smith added, referring to himself and his co-star Martin Lawrence. “We [recently] watched a little bit of the first movie together, and we didn’t know we were in the middle of our dreams.
The original Bad boys, directed by Michael Bay, hit theaters in April 1995. With a budget of $19 million, the film about two Miami police detectives grossed more than $141 million worldwide. After the success of the first film, Bay directed the second part, 2003 Bad Boys IIwhich had a larger budget of $130 million and grossed over $273 million worldwide.
For the third installment in the franchise, 2020’s Bad boys for lifeSmith expanded his role to include producing, while Bay handed the reins to co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who also directed Smith and Lawrence’s latest buddy cop outing.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which hits theaters June 7, stars Smith and Lawrence once again as Miami detectives who this time want to clear the name of their late captain (Joe Pantoliano), who is accused of working with drug cartels. Smith and Lawrence’s characters try to uncover the truth and discover who is behind the scheme, but find themselves trapped in the process.
What makes this Bad boys Another part of the first iteration of the franchise is that in addition to the car chases and stunts, the film also addresses conversations about growing older and making room for a younger generation. Although the film sticks to its comedic roots, it also does not shy away from meaningful moments between the two fifty-something stars.
The film also marks Smith’s return to the big screen following his 2022 film Emancipation. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Emancipation arrived in theaters just months after Smith’s infamous Oscars punch, in which he punched Chris Rock as the comedian hosted the Academy Awards.
However, Smith’s latest return to the big screen emphasizes his action and comedic chops over his more serious side. “It’s a combination of old school and new school,” co-director Adil El Arbi told Yahoo Entertainment at the premiere.
El Arbi said the stars and the characters they play have the same energy and chemistry, but the filmmaking itself is different from the ’90s version and “has evolved into the TikTok generation, the video game generation.”
Although the stars have amassed dozens of credits and the filmmaking has taken on a new style, one constant is Jerry Bruckheimer, still on board as original producer. The prolific producer credits hard work for the success of this franchise and beyond.
“Keep working hard, that’s all,” the producer told Yahoo Entertainment. “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”
Although Smith has worked hard over the years, he still returns to his early days.
“I told my youngest self, ‘Slow down, wake up, dude. You made it,” said the actor formerly known as the Fresh Prince.
Lawrence instead focused more on the practical matters.
“Watch your back,” he joked.
