Fans of the "Bad Boys" franchise have always wanted a third installment but actor Martin Lawrence, who plays the role of Det. Lt. Marcus Burnett, strongly hinted that it will not happen.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lawrence admitted he is doubtful that the planned "Bad Boys III" will push forward for several reasons: director Joe Carnahan ("Smokin' Aces") is no longer attached and his co-star Will Smith is busy with other projects.
"I don't think we're going to get one, not the way everything's turning out," Lawrence, 52, said. "Will is off doing another movie, and I don't think it's going to happen."
Nonetheless, Lawrence would still return to reprise his iconic role if Sony Pictures Entertainment decides to go forward with the third installment. Plot details remain under wraps, but it may follow Burnett and Mike Lowrey's (Smith) transition into manhood.
"There's a lot of funny s**t in this movie," Carnahan said in a previous interview with Slash Film. "And there's also a very mysterious, but tonally spot-on story... It's kind of what becomes of 'Bad Boys' when they're not boys anymore."
News of a possible "Bad Boys II" sequel was first reported in 2008. The following year, Peter Craig ("The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1") was attached to write the script along with director Carnahan.
In 2015, Sony announced that "Bad Boys III" would be released on Feb. 17, 2017, but shortly pushed it back to Nov. 9, 2018. Earlier this year, Carnahan dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts. To make things worse, Sony recently removed "Bad Boys III" from their release schedule.
In the meantime, Smith will be seen next in Netflix's upcoming film, "Bright." In the film, he plays Daryl Ward, a Los Angeles Police Department officer. The character will team up with Orc Deputy Nick Jakoby (Joel Edgerton) to save the city from the threat of mythical creatures.
"Bright" will be released worldwide on Dec. 22.
