Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a 2024 American buddy cop action comedy film, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the fourth installment of the Bad Boys series. A sequel to Bad Boys for Life (2020), it is directed by Adil & Bilall and written by Chris Bremner and Will Beall. Returning cast members include Joe Pantoliano, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Jacob Scipio, and DJ Khaled. Tasha Smith joins the cast, taking over the role of Theresa Burnett from Theresa Randle, who portrayed the character in the previous three films. New additions to the cast include Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Rhea Seehorn, Melanie Liburd, and Tiffany Haddish. The plot follows Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett as they uncover a conspiracy framing their late Captain Conrad Howard, prompting them to embark on a dangerous mission to clear his name.
| Directed by | Adil & Bilall |
|---|---|
| Written by | Chris Bremner |
| Will Beall | |
| Based on | Characters by George Gallo |
| Produced by | Jerry Bruckheimer |
| Will Smith | |
| Chad Oman | |
| Doug Belgrad | |
| Starring | Will Smith |
| Martin Lawrence | |
| Vanessa Hudgens | |
| Alexander Ludwig | |
| Paola Núñez | |
| Eric Dane | |
| Ioan Gruffudd | |
| Rhea Seehorn | |
| Jacob Scipio | |
| Melanie Liburd | |
| Tasha Smith | |
| Tiffany Haddish | |
| Joe Pantoliano | |
| Cinematography | Robrecht Heyvaert |
| Edited by | Asaf Eisenberg |
| Dan Lebental | |
| Music by | Lorne Balfe |
| Production companies | Columbia Pictures |
| Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films | |
| Westbrook Studios | |
| 2.0 Entertainment | |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| Release dates | May 22, 2024 (Coca-Cola Arena) |
| June 7, 2024 (United States) | |
| Running time | 115 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $100 million |
| Box office |
Cast:
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Will Smith | Detective Lieutenant Michael Eugene “Mike” Lowrey |
| Martin Lawrence | Detective Lieutenant Marcus Miles Burnett |
| Vanessa Hudgens | Kelly, weapons expert of AMMO |
| Alexander Ludwig | Dorn, tech expert of AMMO |
| Paola Núñez | Captain Rita Secada, head of Miami Police unit AMMO and Mike’s ex-girlfriend, now dating Lockwood |
| Eric Dane | James McGrath |
| Ioan Gruffudd | Lockwood, a potential candidate for mayor of Miami, and Rita’s new boyfriend |
| Jacob Scipio | Armando Aretas, Mike’s son |
| Melanie Liburd | Christine, Mike’s newly wedded wife |
| Tasha Smith | Theresa Burnett, Marcus’s wife (replacing Theresa Randle) |
| Tiffany Haddish | Tabitha |
| Joe Pantoliano | Captain Conrad Howard |
| John Salley | Fletcher |
| DJ Khaled | Manny the Butcher |
| Rhea Seehorn | U.S. Marshal Agent Judy Howard, Captain Howard’s daughter, and Callie’s mother |
| Dennis Greene | Reggie McDonald, Marcus’ son-in-law and a United States Marine staff sergeant |
| Joyner Lucas | Gang leader |
| Quinn Hemphill | Callie Howard, Captain Conrad Howard’s granddaughter and U.S. Marshal Judy Howard’s daughter |
| Trae tha Truth | |
| Michael Bay | Porsche driver |
| Khaby Lame | Himself |
Production:
Following the opening weekend box-office success of Bad Boys for Life, Sony announced plans for a fourth installment, with Chris Bremner returning to write the script.
In April 2022, it was reported that development for the fourth film was being put on hold due to the incident involving Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony. However, the following month, Sony head chairman Tom Rothman confirmed that the fourth film was still in development, despite the previous report.
In February 2023, Smith announced that he and Lawrence would reprise their roles for the film, which was in pre-production, with Adil & Bilall returning to direct. That same month, musician and disc jockey Questlove reported that Smith had to drop out of a planned surprise appearance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards because pre-production for the fourth Bad Boys film had started earlier that week.
In March 2023, it was revealed that Vanessa Hudgens would reprise her role as Kelly from Bad Boys for Life. In April 2023, it was announced that Eric Dane had been cast, reportedly as the villain, and that Paola Núñez and Alexander Ludwig would also reprise their roles from Bad Boys for Life. That same month, Ioan Gruffudd joined the cast. In May 2023, it was announced that Rhea Seehorn had joined the cast.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die was originally the working title by co-director Adil El Arbi before it was confirmed in early 2024.
Release:
The world premiere of Bad Boys: Ride or Die was held at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on May 22, 2024, and it was released in the United States on June 6, 2024. The film was initially scheduled for release on July 3, 2019, then moved up to May 24, 2019, before being pulled from the schedule. In July 2023, it was announced that the film would be released on June 14, 2024. Finally, in February 2024, the release date was moved up to its current date.
