Will Smith and Martin Lawrence narrowly escaped a missile incident during the filming of the highly anticipated fourth installment of their blockbuster action series, Bad Boys, in Atlanta.
In the midst of shooting a scene set in the partially demolished Gatorland amusement park, the 54-year-old Academy Award winner and the 58-year-old comedian donned complete law enforcement attire. Captured by the rolling cameras, Smith, portraying Detective Mike Lowrey, sprang into action with a badge, bulletproof vest, and a walkie talkie fastened to his shoulder. He held a large prop assault-style rifle, taking cover multiple times beside a motionless body on the ground, with Lawrence nearby
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Lawrence, renowned for his successful sitcom Martin, which aired from 1992 to 1997, also wore a bulletproof vest labeled with ‘police’ on the front and sported a pair of sleek black sunglasses. His character, Detective Lieutenant Marcus Miles Burnett, is one of the beloved protagonists of the Bad Boys franchise.
Smith and Lawrence have been embodying these law enforcement officers since the franchise’s inception with the release of the first Bad Boys film in 1995. They reprised their roles in the subsequent sequels, premiering in 2003 and 2020 respectively. However, neither of the long-time stars participated in the spinoff series titled L.A.’s Finest, which debuted in 2019.
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed back in 2020 that the fourth Bad Boys movie was officially in development. It was announced that Smith and Lawrence were expected to reprise their iconic roles as Lowrey and Burnett. Joining the cast alongside the duo are talented performers Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, and Paola Nunez.
The film’s production was briefly halted following a controversy involving Smith’s altercation with Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony, which also caused delays in some of his other projects. Nevertheless, Sony Chairman Tom Rothman assured fans in an interview with Deadline that the project was still actively progressing.
Smith officially confirmed his return as Detective Mike Lowrey alongside Lawrence in February, while also announcing Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah as the directors for the project. This filmmaking duo previously helmed the third film in the franchise, which was well-received by audiences.
Physical production for the highly anticipated sequel commenced last month, with filming taking place in both Miami and Atlanta. Although the fourth Bad Boys movie does not yet have a set release date, it is expected to hit theaters sometime in 2024.
Recently, Smith and Lawrence were captured shooting an intense scene where the King Richard star persuades his co-star, dressed in a hospital gown, to step away from a dangerous ledge on a rooftop. The on-set footage showed Smith gesturing for Lawrence to descend, followed by an embrace between the two actors, reflecting the dramatic nature of the scene.
