Ah, “creative differences”. The term can encompass so much, yet reveal so little. Those are the same reasons that have been cited for Joe Carnahan‘s exit from the third Bad Boys film, titled Bad Boys For Life.
Everything had started to fall into place with Will Smith finally signing on to join co-star, Martin Lawrence, and the film settling on a November 8, 2018 release date, but that progress has now stalled. Carnahan, along with being director, had a hand in the script, so it’s possible that while hunting for a new name to helm the film, producers will want to rework the screenplay, postponing the project even longer.
It was always going to be a struggle to revisit a franchise where the last entry was the considerably bonkers Bad Boys II, which practically destroyed the barriers of cinema and existed on this weird, indescribable other plain of existence. Go back even further to the first film and you’ll enter a strange time where Martin Lawrence was billed ahead of Will Smith.
Carnahan isn’t likely too disappointed, he seems to be pretty in-demand right now. He’s penned the script for Uncharted, while currently writing the X-Men spin-off X-Force, while also planning to write and direct a remake of The Raid and adapt his 2002 film, Narc, into a TV series.
He’s a busy man and an upcoming star in Hollywood that looks likely to fall on his feet. Where this leaves Bad Boys For Life, who knows? Maybe a sneaky bet on Michael Bay returning?
#Peace.Love.BadBoys
