A fourth slice of Bad Boys
ACTORS Will Smith and Martin Lawrence recently confirmed they will be returning for a fourth instalment of the Bad Boys movie franchise. It is currently in pre-production.
The duo disclosed latest developments on their respective Instagram pages.
Ian Lewis, co-founder of Inner Circle and songwriter of Bad Boys, the movie’s title track, is elated at the announcement. He said with each sequel, reggae music benefits.
“Is ah joy an’ ah funny feeling inna yuh soul fi know ah man really use yuh lyrics an’ make four series of a big movie,” Lewis told the Jamaica Observer.
“We [reggae musicians] captured the world not by telling the world to kill one another. We captured the world by telling the world about love, the consciousness, and the culture. Is the culture we bring. It’s jus’ potent reggae music,” he continued.
He cited the 1972 classic The Harder They Come starring Jimmy Cliff and Rockers (1978) with drummer Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace as movies that assisted in spreading the reggae culture.
Lewis, who is based in South Florida, called on emerging dancehall/reggae acts to be responsible in their utterances as the world is watching.
“If we can influence the president of the United States, Barack Obama, fi sey: ‘Waah gwaan Jamaica?’ What dat tell you?,” he asked.
Lewis rates the first and third instalments of Bad Boys as his favourites. He believes with Will Smith’s infamous slap of comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars in March last year, more people will be curious to see what the fourth movie brings.
“Suppose dem put Chris Rock inna di movie, ah sell dem sell out at the box office,” Lewis joked.
The original Bad Boys earned US$141 million worldwide, while the 2003 sequel Bad Boys II tallied US$273 million. Bad Boys For Life outgrossed both, making US$426.5 million at the worldwide box office.
Bad Boys, the song, was first released in 1987 but gained massive popularity in the United States after its re-release in 1993. For many years, it was the theme for the American television show, Cops.