Bad Boys 4 Will Be the Perfect Summer Movie, Says Will Smith

We’re just a few weeks away from the launch of Bad Boys For Life, the latest installment in the long-running buddy cop movie series. The film once again reunites Mike Lowery (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) in another high-octane adventure — and apparently, Smith has high praise for it. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Smith previewed Bad Boys For Life, and argued that the finish product is “what a summer movie is supposed to be.”

“I’m very excited about this one,” Smith revealed. “We want it to feel nostalgic, but we also want the characters to be experiencing things that are age-appropriate and experience-appropriate. It’s a challenge to keep it fun and keep it exciting and make sure that the popcorn part is enjoyable, but also letting it be gourmet popcorn. It is popcorn, but it’s definitely got some special sauce on it.”

“That’s the thing that is important [in making] another one: It has to have an emotional base that is interesting and riveting, not just trying to blow some stuff up,” Smith explained. “At this point in my life, I need the movies to be about something. Part of why Bad Boys works for people is at the heart of it is friendship. At the heart of it is love. At the heart of it is a relationship, and it’s the kind of relationship that we all wish we had, somebody that will ride or die with us and for us.”

What Is Bad Boys: Ride or Die About?

In Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett investigate corruption within the Miami PD when their late Captain Conrad Howard is posthumously accused of being involved with drug cartels, but a setup turns them into fugitives, forcing them to work outside the law in order to solve the case.

The ensemble cast will also include Vanessa Hudgens as Kelly, Alexander Ludwig as Dorn, Joe Pantoliano as Captain Conrad Howard, Paola Núñez as Captain Rita Secada, John Salley as Fletcher, and Tasha Smith as a recast Theresa Burnett. New cast members include Eric Dane as Banker, Ioan Gruffudd as Lockwood, Rhea Seehorn as a US Marshall Agent, and Joyner Lucas and Tiffany Haddish in currently-unknown roles.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die will be released exclusively in theaters on Friday, June 7th.