Martin Lawrence Says Will Smith Oscars Slap Won’t Stop ‘Bad Boys 4’ From Moving Forward

Bad Boys for Life (Credit: Sony)

The Bad Boys franchise can’t stop and won’t stop because of the Will Smith Oscars slap. That’s the word from Martin Lawrence who told Ebony magazine in a recent article that the fourth film is moving forward despite speculation that it might be shelved after Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars.

“We got one more at least,” Lawrence said, suggesting the franchise may even continue beyond a fourth film.

The last installment in the franchise, Bad Boys For Life, opened on Jan. 17, 2020 to big numbers and topped the weekend box office.

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Despite debuting just weeks before COVID-19 lockdowns began around the country, the film went on to earn $206 million domestically, according to Box Office Mojo.

The Sony buddy cop sequel featured Smith and Lawrence in their roles as detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett.

The film also starred Joe Pantoliano, Alexander Ludwig, Vanessa Hudgens, Charles Melton, Kate del Castillo, Paola Nuñez, Bianca Bethune, and King Bach. The action sequel was directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.

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(L-R) Will Smith and Martin Lawrence attend the Los Angeles Premiere of "Bad Boys for Life" on Jan. 14, 2020. (Credit: Eric Charbonneau)
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence attend the Los Angeles Premiere of “Bad Boys for Life” on Jan. 14, 2020. (Credit: Eric Charbonneau)

The first movie in the franchise, Bad Boys, arrived in theaters in 1995. Bad Boys II debuted in 2003, but the third film didn’t arrive until 17 years later.

Smith said Bad Boys for Life took so long to make it to theaters because some of his previous sequels weren’t that great, and he didn’t want to make the same mistake again.

“I didn’t want to make it as a cash grab,” the actor and producer told Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon in 2020. “I had fumbled a couple of my last sequels. I wasn’t happy with the Men in Black sequel and I just really wanted to make sure that this was a standalone film that people would have a real, brand new experience with.”