(Updated 03/26/2024)
The third Bad Boys movie, BAD BOYS FOR LIFE, was unlucky enough to be one of the major movies released just before the first big Covid lockdown closed movie theatres in early 2020. It's a shame, too, because it's a great sequel! No one knew how Michael Bay's series would work with new directors behind the camera, but the movie proved doubters wrong.
We know that BAD BOYS 4 — properly titled BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE — which is made by the same returning directors, will get a better shot. Bantering Miami Detectives Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) return, along with several other now-regular cast members. Here's everything you need to know about BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE.
What's the Bad Boys 4 Release Date?
Sony Pictures will release BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE on June 7, 2024.
Watch the First Bad Boys: Ride or Die Trailer
First, we would like to note that BAD BOYS FOR LIFE would have been a great name for this fourth movie. (FOR / FOUR, right?) But RIDE OR DIE — a title that the directors hinted at several months ago — is pretty great, too.
What's even better is this trailer. The high-energy footage promises both exactly the sort of new BAD BOYS chapter we have hoped for, with a few new twists. There's the story angle, for one, which we'll get to in a moment. And then there's the look of it all, with wide-lens close-ups that make the action feel more immediate than ever. The vibe is different from Michael Bay's approach, but it still seems to fit right in with the series.
What's the Plot of Bad Boys 4?
At the end of BAD BOYS FOR LIFE (spoilers for that movie ahead) we saw Mike and Marcus put in charge of the Advanced Miami Metro Operations unit, aka AMMO. We also learned that the villain of the third movie was a former lover of Mike's, and that he is the father of her son Armando. The potential for the two to fully reconcile exists, but Armando could also lead to new story threads
The trailer is explicit about the fact that Mike and Marcus are framed by a mysterious party, and that it results in their ouster from AMMO. In fact, the two become fugitives, so the guys who have always acted somewhat outside the boundaries of the law are now full-on fugitives. Obviously, returning writer Chris Bremner has cooked up a lot more than that, but we'll have to wait to learn more.
The Cast of Bad Boys: Ride or Die
A significant roster of cast members returns from the previous movies. In addition to Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, and Paola Núñez are all back for the fourth movie. Joe Pantoliano also returns as Captain Conrad Howard.
Then there's a serious new cast, including Eric Dane, reportedly as the main villain, and Ioan Gruffudd and the great Rhea Seehorn from "Better Call Saul." Also on board are John Salley, DJ Khaled, and Joyner Lucas. And Tasha Smith replaces Theresa Randle as Theresa Burnett, Marcus's wife.
The Bad Boys 4 Directors
As we mentioned above, BAD BOYS 4 is being directed by the team of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, aka Adil & Bilall, who also directed BAD BOYS FOR LIFE. After making that movie they did a 2022 film called REBEL, then they made the Batgirl movie which was canceled by Warner Bros. prior to release. (Not due to any fault on the filmmakers' part.)
With the directors working from a script by Chris Bremner, the BAD BOYS team went into production in April 2023. The actors' strike caused production to suspend in July 2023, before the location work in Miami could be filmed. We don't know if filming has resumed.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die Will Have More Comedy
In September 2023, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah teased that the new movie will lean more into comedy. "It's going to be extremely funny," Fallah said, with Arbi adding "The previous one was more of a drama in some parts. This one will be more of a comedy."
BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE opens on June 7.
All images courtesy of Sony Pictures.