Martin Lawrence Doesn't Think 'Bad Boys 3' Is Happening

08/31/2017 03:35 pm EDT

As if being pulled from Sony's release schedule wasn't bad enough news for the prospect of a Bad Boys 3 ever coming into existence, star Martin Lawrence recently revealed to Entertainment Weekly that hope for the sequel is lost in the near future, possibly indefinitely.

"I don't think we're going to get one, not the way everything's turning out," Lawrence confessed. "Will is off doing another movie, and I don't think it's going to happen."

The third film, Bad Boys For Life, was scheduled to bring back series stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, potentially hitting theaters as early as January of 2018. Earlier this year, Sony announced a slight shift in schedule, pushing the film back to November of 2018. In March of this year, director Joe Carnahan (The Grey) left the project, causing even bigger problems for the production.

Last week, Sony announced release dates for highly-anticipated films like the Spider-Man spin-off Silver and Black and Sicario 2: Soldado, while also quietly removing the live-action Barbie film and Bad Boys For Life off the schedule completely.

The "other movie" that Lawrence referred to Smith being involved in is the live-action adaptation of Disney's Aladdin, in which Smith will star as the Genie, a role originally voiced by Robin Williams. Despite Smith's crowded schedule, he recently explained that production on the film was "very, very, very close."

Of his co-star, Smith added, "I love that dude. That's among the best times I've ever had making movies. So I'm looking forward to it."

Much like Smith, Lawrence is also quite passionate about pursuing the film, despite the project being put on an indefinite hiatus.

"I'm there, I'm ready right now," Lawrence confessed. "If they wanted to do it, I'm ready, but I don't have control of that. That's the studio's decision."

This recent blow must hit Bad Boys fans deeply, knowing how close the film was to developing further, only to be sent back into purgatory. Perhaps after the upcoming Aladdin, Smith will find more time in his schedule to partner up with Lawrence to complete the trilogy.

Photo Credit: Columbia Pictures

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