'Bad Boys 4': Another Major Star Returning

Bad Boys 4 is on its way. The movie is set to begin filming in a few months and comes after a halt in production due to Will Smith's infamous 2022 Oscar slap, leading multiple projects of his on pause. Main Lawrence and Smith will continue to lead the pack, we now know that Vanessa Hudgens will reprise her role as Det. Kelly. She made her debut in the last film, Bad Boys for Life. The film is in pre-production at Sony Pictures. Plot details have yet to be released. 

The last film, Bad Boys for Life, was released before the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of its theatrical run, it grossed $426 million at the worldwide box office. It also had a booming domestic four-day opening of $73M, becoming the second-best Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in history. Thus far, all three previous films earned $840.7M at the global box office.

Hudgens joining the franchise in the previous film was a welcome surprise for fans. In a 2020 interview with News 24, she expressed her love for her new castmates. "I loved being alongside such a strong group of actors and just an amazing group of people in general. It made for such a fun shoot – not to mention, being on a set with Will Smith means even better crafty for lunch," she explained.

Working with Smith and Lawrence was the best part of filming. "I couldn't have been more excited to work alongside the legendary duo that's Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. We all just had the best time on set. It was never a dull moment," she said. 

The first film was released in 1995. Its follow-up was released in 2003. The franchise is an action comedy created by George Gallo. Smith and Lawrence star as two detectives in the Miami Police Department, Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, respectively. Joe Pantoliano and Theresa Randle also appear in all three films.