Prepare to roll out, because Bad Boys For Life has commenced filming

Bad boys! Whatcha want, watcha want! Whatcha gonna do when Will Smith announces via his official Instagram account that BAD BOYS FOR LIFE has commenced filming? Well, I suppose we'll just have to wait for more details, which now that I think about it, is a rather anti-climactic way to cap off this article intro.

As I was saying, Smith today dropped a new photo onto his Instagram account, which from where I'm sitting, appears to be of a stack of scripts for BAD BOYS FOR LIFE, the long-awaited BAD BOYS sequel starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Before Adil El Arbi (BLACK, PATSER) and Bilall Fallah (BROEDERS, IMAGE) became the helmers of the film, Joe Carnahan (THE GREY) was slated to write and direct the project before bowing out due to scheduling conflicts. At the time when he was still involved, Carnahan had stated that BAD BOYS FOR LIFE would have been the "strongest of the trilogy thus far," adding that the film would have dealt with "what becomes of Bad Boys when they're not boys anymore." Carnahan also teased that "there’s a lot of funny shit in this movie, and there’s also a very mysterious, but tonally spot-on story that I think is kind of perfect for where we are in this day and age, where the guys are and reflectively, a very modern take on these guys." Once Will Smith and Martin Lawrence had confirmed their return, Carnahan hinted on Twitter that his script, or at least portions of it, will still be used.

In other BAD BOYS-related news, the long-gestating BAD BOYS TV spin-off show, which stars Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union, is still happening. According to the studio, the pilot, which was written by Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier and will be directed by Anton Cropper, finds the free-spirited former DEA agent looking for a fresh start in her new job as an LAPD detective. Before long, Union's Special Agent Sydney "Syd" Burnett finds herself partnered with Nancy McKenna (Jessica Alba), "a working mom who can’t help but look at Syd’s freedom with some grass-is-greener envy. These two have totally different lifestyles and approaches, but they both are at the top of their fields in this action-packed, character-driven procedural." After joining the Army fresh out of high-school and spending most of the 2000s in Iraq and Afghanistan, McKenna joined the military police as a way to get closer to the action as women weren't allowed in combat. Now serving as an LAPD detective, McKenna is also raising her two preteen stepkids with her husband.

Are you down to roll with Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, yet again? Let us know your thoughts about this promising sequel in the comments section below.

Set for a January 17, 2020 release, BAD BOYS FOR LIFE stars Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, and Joe Pantoliano, among others.