Bad Boys for Life

Bad Boys for Life is a 2020 American buddy cop action comedy film that is the sequel to Bad Boys II (2003) and the third installment in the Bad Boys franchise. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprise their starring roles in the film, which is directed by Adil & Bilall. Theresa Randle and Joe Pantoliano also reprise previous roles and are joined by Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Charles Melton, Kate del Castillo, and Nicky Jam. The film was produced by Smith, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Doug Belgrad, with a screenplay written by Chris Bremner, Peter Craig, and Joe Carnahan. In Bad Boys for Life, Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett investigate a string of murders tied to Lowrey's troubled past. A third Bad Boys film was contemplated following the release of the second film in 2003, with Michael Bay stating he would be interested in returning to direct, but budgetary constraints led to stalled efforts. Over the years, a variety of writers and directors were attached as the film went through multiple attempts to enter production. The project was eventually finalized and green-lit in October 2018, and filming began the following year, lasting from January to June 2019. Principal photography took place in Atlanta, Miami, and Mexico City. Bad Boys for Life was theatrically released in the United States on January 17, 2020, by Sony Pictures Releasing under the Columbia Pictures label. The film was generally well received by critics and grossed $426.5 million worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing January release of all time. It was also the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2020 and the highest-grossing film in the franchise. A sequel, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, was released on June 7, 2024.