12 years after Michael Bay’s second instalment, it looks as though a third Bad Boys film could actually happen this time.
[dropcap size=small]S[/dropcap]ony have been trying to make Bad Boys III happen for almost a decade. Peter Craig (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) and David Guggenheim (Safe House) have both been hired to write the script, but neither lasted long. Now it seems that Sony have reached out to Joe Carnahan (The A-Team, The Grey) in an effort to pick up the pieces, and Carnahan’s body of work suggests he is more than capable of writing a successful action sequel.
Carnahan is also in talks to direct, replacing Michael Bay, who helmed the first two Bad Boys films. If it goes through, it’s another good move from Sony, given Carnahan’s experience in character-driven action sequences, and Bay’s experience in turning out god awful movies.
Sony are ticking all the right boxes so far, but convincing Will Smith to return alongside Martin Lawrence is another matter. Smith is currently busy shooting (in every sense of the word) DC’s Suicide Squad, and the Men in Black star has a reputation for being picky about the roles he chooses. Having turned down the part of Neo in The Matrix(!) and the chance to reprise his role in the Independence Day sequel, Smith’s return rests heavily on Carnahan’s script.
We’ll find out very shortly whether Joe Carnahan is indeed the man to take the Bad Boys franchise forward, and if he isn’t, will he stay on for Sony’s inevitable female-led spin-off? Bad Girls anyone?