While Independence Day (1996) made Will Smith a household name, just one year before, Bad Boys (1995) saw the actor unleash his action and comedy capabilities as Mike Lowrey, alongside Martin Lawrence (Marcus Burnett).
Directed by Michael Bay, the film follows two detectives who must protect a murder witness from a deadly druglord. The hip and edgy buddy cop movie grossed over $141 million, which resulted in two sequels.
Bad Boys II (2003) took the action and the comedy to new heights, while Bad Boys For Life, a sequel fans waited 17 years for, attempted to build something of a Fast and Furious-esque franchise. Did it fail miserably?
Well, it wouldn’t seem so, because Martin Lawrence recently spoke about the future of the franchise. In the wake of the infamous 2022 Oscars slap (you know the one) the actor said the following in an interview with Ebony:
“We got one more at least,” Lawrence said, dismissing the idea that Will Smith’s on-stage assault of stand-up comedian Chris Rock has in any way jeopardized Bad Boys 4.
“It [Bad Boys For Life] was big,” he added. “For us to come together and prove that we can deliver, and we can pull people into the box office — that two black stars, two sitcom stars, could make money at the box office [was huge].”
Sony chairman and CEO Tom Rothman also spoke on the matter in a recent interview with Deadline. When asked whether the “brakes had been pumped” on Bad Boys 4, he said:
“That movie’s been in development and still is. There weren’t any brakes to pump because the car wasn’t moving. 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 went on to say, “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.”
Will Smith “broke the Internet” earlier this year when he walked onto stage during the 2022 Oscars and slapped host Chris Rock in the face, following a joke the comedian made about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith.
Bringing attention to Jada’s baldness, Rock said, “G.I. Jane 2 - can’t wait to see it!” referecing of course the 1997 film which stars Demi Moore who sports a shaved head. Jada was then seen looking visibly annoyed by the joke.
However, Will Smith didn’t take kindly to the joke. Though he was seen laughing at first, seconds later he got out of his seat, walked up to Rock, and smacked him across the face.
“Wow,” Rock said, “Will Smith just smacked the sh** out of me.” When Smith returned to his seat, he yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth!” twice. A stunned Rock replied, “Dude, it was a G.I. Jane joke,” before adding, “I’m going to, okay?”
The footage went viral on YouTube, and caught the attention of the entire world. Many criticized Smith’s outburst, while others stood by his side. Rock has had very little to say about the matter since.
Either way, following Martin Lawrence’s comments about Bad Boys 4, it looks like the incident hasn’t damaged Will Smith’s career. While a very poor lapse in judgement, the actor has delivered some great movies over the decades.
By the time Bad Boys 4 comes out in theaters, we’re pretty sure most people will have forgotten that Oscars slap. Or maybe Will Smith will need one of those neuralizers from Men In Black (1997)…
Bad Boys For Life stars Will Smith (Mike Lowrey), Martin Lawrence (Marcus Burnett), Paola Nunez (Rita Secada), Vanessa Hudgens (Kelly), and Alexander Ludwig (Dorn).
The film grossed $426.5 million worldwide, becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of 2020 - the height of the COVID-19 pandemic era - and the highest-grossing film in the Bad Boys franchise.
