Aging Will Smith and Martin Lawrence scrapped stunt plans for 'Bad Boys' sequel

STX’s “The Gentlemen” proved no match for Sony’s “Bad Boys for Life,” which again left box office competitors in the dust after collecting $34 million in its sophomore outing.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are showing plenty of staying power at North American multiplexes with about $31 million, estimates showed Saturday.

“Bad Boys for Life” has given a jolt to the North American box office, blasting past forecasts with a $73.4 million opening over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

Sony’s “Bad Boys” franchise proved a 17-year gap between installments means little for the right property.

By Nancy Tartaglione

In another win for Sony Pictures, Bad Boys for Life is laughing much louder than expected in its North American box office debut while, across town, Dolittle is going to the dogs for Universal.Bad Boys for Life, reteaming Will Smith and Martin Lawrence after a 17-year-hiatus, grossed $23.5 million on Friday for a projected $66 million to $68 million debut over the four-day Martin Luther King Jr.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are reportedly poised to return to the Bad Boys franchise for another sequel following the projected box office success of the new Bad Boys For Life.

Bad Boys 4 Life?

With his towering height and stature, Alexander Ludwig looks every bit the action star, first appearing as Cato in “The Hunger Games,” and more recently as fierce Norse Viking chief Bjorn Ironside on History Channel’s “Vikings” and in “Bad Boys for Life,” the third installment of the “Bad Boys” franchise, with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. 

“Bad Boys for Life” is showing plenty of power at the North American box office with an impressive  launch of around $66 million at 3,740 venues over the four-day holiday weekend.

The last time Will Smith and Martin Lawrence teamed up as detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Bennett it was in 2003’s Bad Boys II. Now Columbia is hoping there’s still and audience for a big action buddy comedy as it releases Bad Boys For Life.As they find themselves much older than when they started on the police force, Lowrey and Bennett are on the cusp of taking very different paths.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back in the latest installment of their action-comedy franchise, Bad Boys for Life—and the accompanying soundtrack just dropped. The tracklist includes the previously released single, “RITMO (Bad Boys for Life).” This is the first Bad Boys film since 2003’s Bad Boys II.

Bad Boys for Life made quite an impression at the Thursday box office, earning a January-best $6.4 million in previews.The threequel, reteaming Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, opens 17 years after the last installment in Sony's action comedy franchise. The R-rated pic is tracking to earn $38 million to $50 million over the long Martin Luther King Jr.

Way back in 1995 ‘Bad Boys’ came out and shook the world.