“We gotta give you five.”
That's what Martin Lawrence told Entertainment Tonight when pressed about the future of the Bad Boys franchise. On the surface, it's just a feel-good nod to fans—but read between the lines, and you'll hear Sony's cash register warming up.
Here's the thing: Bad Boys: Ride or Die didn't just perform—it resurrected. With a $404 million global haul on a $100 million budget, plus a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (popcorn never lies), Sony now sees Bad Boys not as a legacy title, but as a reliable franchise asset. The kind execs mention at shareholder meetings.
But here's the uncomfortable truth: Chasing success doesn't always produce it. Hollywood has a habit—like a Netflix algorithm gone rogue—of milking familiar IP until it curdles. Remember Pirates of the Caribbean 5? Neither does anyone else.
“As long as the audience wants to see them…”
That's Lawrence's polite way of saying we're listening to the money. He also revealed he and Will Smith haven't even discussed ideas for the next movie. Meanwhile, Sony's already in “conversation mode.” Translation? The engine's running. The map? Still blank.
It's worth zooming out for a second. This wouldn't be the first time a studio greenlit a sequel without a solid creative foundation. See: Independence Day: Resurgence, Men in Black: International, or any Terminator after 1991. All legacy revivals banking on nostalgia. All critically thrashed and culturally forgotten.
So what makes Bad Boys 5 different?
Well—Smith and Lawrence, for one. Despite the Oscars slap fallout in 2022, Smith's performance in Ride or Die proved audiences either moved on or never cared. The duo still crackles onscreen. There's charm, there's rhythm. But here's the catch: charisma only gets you so far without a compelling story.
What's next for Mike and Marcus?
The last film left some threads dangling. Characters that could evolve, arcs left unfinished. But if Bad Boys 5 is going to avoid becoming Lethal Weapon 5 (a franchise that finally ran out of bullets), it needs more than familiar banter and car chases. It needs relevance.
Imagine a story that actually ages with its leads—a gritty reckoning with legacy, retirement, and consequences. Think Logan, but with jokes and explosions. That's a sequel worth greenlighting.
Sony wants Bad Boys 5. Fans probably do too. But unless someone in the writers' room finds a reason beyond “because it prints money,” the franchise risks becoming its own parody.
Would you ride or die for another sequel? Or should this duo drive off into the sunset? Let us know below.
