Joe Carnahan Reveals Creative Differences With Will Smith Led To His Exit From ‘Bad Boys For Life’

Joe Carnahan has revealed why he dropped out of directing the upcoming Bad Boys sequel, citing creative differences with star Will Smith as the reason for his exit.

The next installment in the long-running franchise is set to feature the return of Detectives Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Bennett (Martin Lawrence) as the duo goes up against a drug cartel which has a target on Mike’s head. Bad Boys For Life had long been in development at the studio with Joe Carnahan (The Grey) previously attached to direct from a script he wrote. Joe Carnahan entered the picture after Michael Bay exited the project. At the time of Joe Carnahan’s exit, it was reported that he left the project due to scheduling conflicts, although other claims suggested it was due to creative differences.

On the latest episode of Collider Live, Joe Carnahan confirmed these creative differences, revealing that his take on the script ultimately didn’t work for Will Smith, leading to his exit.

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have now directed the film from a script written by Chris Bremner. Production on the project recently wrapped.

The Bad Boys franchise is also expanding into television with L.A.’s Finest, a spin-off starring Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba which is set to debut on Charter Spectrum in 2019. The series features Union reprising her role as Special Agent Syd Burnett, the sister of Lawrence’s Marcus Burnett who was last seen taking down a Miami drug cartel in Bad Boys II. The pilot picks up with Syd working as an LAPD detective when her new partner, Nancy McKenna — played by Alba — discovers Syd’s unapologetic lifestyle may be masking a greater personal secret.

Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from a script written by Peter Craig, Joe Carnahan, and Chris Bremmer, Bad Boys for Life stars Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Paola Nuñez, Jacob Scipio, Alexander Ludwig, Vanessa Hudgens, and Charles Melton.

The new installment centers on the Miami PD and its elite AMMO team’s attempt to take down Armando Armas (Scipio), head of a drug cartel. Armando is a cold-blooded killer with a vicious, taunting nature. He is committed to the work of the cartel and is dispatched by his mother to kill Mike (Smith). Nuñez will take on the role of Rite, the tough and funny criminal psychologist who is the newly appointed head of AMMO and Mike’s former girlfriend- and the one who got away.

Bad Boys for Life will be released in theaters on January 17, 2020. Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on the future of the Bad Boys franchise as we learn it.

Source: YouTube