Martin Lawrence Talks Making Bad Boys For Life Without Michael Bay

Martin Lawrence Talks Making Bad Boys For Life Without Michael Bay

The stars of the Bad Boys franchise, without question, are Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Their chemistry and comedic interplay is what makes those movies stand out from the buddy-cop formula pack. But one could argue that the third “star” of those two movies was the director, Michael Bay. The bombastic Transformers director cut his teeth early on with the stripped down and streamlined Bad Boys, then kicked it up several notches to the expected Bay-hem with Bad Boys II.

Michael Bay will not return to helm 2020’s highly anticipated Bad Boys for Life. Those duties will fall to relative newcomers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. When we got a moment to speak with Martin Lawrence at the South By Southwest premiere of his new movie The Beach Bum, we asked Lawrence if it was strange doing a Bad Boys sequel without Bay, and he told us:

Well, it’s not so strange because Bilall and Adel are doing a great job. It’s just different directors, but we’re still going to bring you that Bad Boys stuff.

That begs the question, is it Bad Boys simply because Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are returning, or does the franchise actually need Michael Bay’s attitude and visual approach? We’re certainly eager to find out! Just last year, Paramount’s Bumblebee proved that a Bay franchise could survive the addition of a different director. But action franchises in the past have shown mixed results when they lose their original voice.

Die Hard, for example, usually floundered when original director John McTiernan wasn’t at the helm for a sequel. The Lethal Weapon franchise stayed steady with Richard Donner. And the best Terminator movies, so far, have had James Cameron in the director’s chair.

That’s not to say that co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah don’t have their own opinion on how to use Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in a Bad Boys movie. Clearly they had a pitch that sold Sony on their ability to get the gig directing Bad Boys For Life. And if Martin Lawrence is giving them the thumbs up for the work that they have done on the sequel so far, then we’re going to take him at his word.

We don’t know a ton about the plot details for Bad Boys For Life, but every once in a while, Will Smith posts an entertaining behind-the-scenes video on his YouTube page. Like this one:

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence will be reteaming for Bad Boys For Life, and the movie is due in theaters on January 17, 2020. Right now, there’s no Michael Bay, but Lawrence tells CinemaBlend that’s no problem. Do you agree with him? Let us know in the comments section below.

Shazam! Has Screened, Here Are The Early Reactions

Shazam! Has Screened, Here Are The Early Reactions

While we are still only in the early months of 2019, new superhero movies are very quickly pouring into the box office. A few weeks ago saw the debut of M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass, and this weekend will see the debut of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel. Before too long, however, we’ll also be seeing the third big genre release of the year, David F. Sandberg’s Shazam!, and now the first reactions to the film have started rolling in.

I personally am one of the people who got an early look at Shazam! (in full disclosure it was an unfinished cut), and I thought it was fantastic. As noted in my Tweet below, it doesn't exactly do a lot to separate itself from the pack when it comes to the structure of its story as a superhero origin tale - but the elements that make it legitimately special make that feel largely inconsequential:

And our own Managing Director Sean O'Connell chimed in with:

Echoing some of my own thoughts is also Germain Lussier from iO9, who also made special note of the importance of family and the movie's core themes. He's apparently taking points off because he doesn't love what Shazam! does with the dynamic between Zachary Levi's titular hero and Mark Strong's Dr. Sivana, but his reaction is primarily praise.

Ash Crossan from Entertainment Tonight also has a lot of love to share for Zachary Levi's performance, and went as far as to call the movie "damn near perfect" - while placing it at the top of her personal DC Extended Universe movie rankings. That's pretty big praise now that we have both Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman and James Wan's Aquaman in the mix, but she has a lot of love for Shazam!'s humor and personality.

The new DC film has apparently also won the heart of Collier's Perri Nemiroff, who has a lot of similar sentiments to share as many of her colleagues. Again there is a lot of love for Zachary Levi, and themes regarding family - but she also throws in some specific love for Jack Dylan Grazer, who plays the best friend of Shazam a.k.a. Billy Batson (Asher Angel).

Lastly we have Erik Davis from Fandango, who writes in his Tweet that he wishes he had the ability to hug the blockbuster. It seems he really appreciated the various references made in Shazam! - including not only to other heroes in the DC Extended Universe, but to pop culture in general - and also notes the positive trend for the DC Extended Universe.

It won't be much longer until audiences everywhere will be able to see Shazam! for themselves and make their own opinions. The movie will be arriving in theaters on April 5th - and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for a lot more of our coverage between now and then.

Lebron James’ Space Jam 2 Is Having Trouble Casting NBA Players

Lebron James’ Space Jam 2 Is Having Trouble Casting NBA Players

As LeBron James’ first season with the Los Angeles Lakers closes out next week, he’s gearing up to shoot a sequel for Space Jam alongside some lovable Looney Tunes icons his summer. As was done with the Michael Jordan-led 1996 original, the basketball star has been recruiting additional high-profile players to also make appearances in the nostalgia trip, but he’s reportedly not having much luck welcoming other NBA players to the jam.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, LeBron James has his eye on a few top players to join in with him on the Space Jam 2 fun, but he "hasn’t been able to close some of those deals." During the ESPN sports writer’s recent report during a telecast, he speculated other NBA players may have turned him down because “you put me in the movie where you're the star, I'm going to be the one you're dunking on." Check out what he said below:

Maybe some of the other players aren’t interested in being a side player in the “LeBron James Show”? Hoop Hype writer Bryan Kalbrosky said in a tweet that he’d been told star players may be turning down Space Jam 2 because the pay may not be high enough to convince them. Conversely, Kalbrosky said he also spoke to entertainment industry insiders who told him the amount being offered is quite high for a cameo.

James is an executive producer on the film who certainly has pull to have these discussions with other basketball names. In the first Space Jam, mega-star Michael Jordan was also joined by Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Shawn Bradley, Larry Johnson, Patrick Ewing and Muggsy Bogues. The addition of other talent from the basketball world would certainly buff up interest in the movie from the fandom and allow some other players to be a part of this movie event.

Space Jam 2 will follow LeBron James’ last big-screen role as himself in 2015’s Trainwreck. The basketball star also recently contributed his voice to the character Gwangi in 2018’s Smallfoot. The new Looney Tunes-meets-basketball movie will also be produced by Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and Star Trek Beyond director Justin Lin. Space Jam 2 will be directed by Terence Nance, who created the HBO series Random Acts of Flyness.

So far, Star Trek: Discovery’s lead Sonequa Martin-Green was cast last week as LeBron James’ wife (though it’s unclear if she’ll be playing the high school sweetheart he’s married to in real life). One certainly wonders which basketball players LeBron has asked so far? Kobe Bryant? Michael Jordan? Perhaps some other of his team mates from the Lakers?

LeBron James still has time to recruit more players for Space Jam 2 and we hope he does! The movie is set to be released on July 16, 2021.

Zack Snyder's Response To Fans Wanting A Justice League Snyder Cut

Zack Snyder's Response To Fans Wanting A Justice League Snyder Cut

When it was announced that Zack Snyder would be holding a three-day event screening his director's cuts, and holding Q&A sessions, you knew it was coming. Someone was going to ask about The Snyder Cut for Justice League. In this case, they shouted about it, and Snyder didn't have much of a response -- other than to nod and drop a line about "subversion." Here's a transcript of the conversation, with a video below so you can hear for yourself:

Audience member: You probably have the most director's cuts out of most Hollywood directors, so congratulations on that, because that's...

Zack Snyder: I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

Audience member: No, well you definitely fight for your visions, and that's definitely inspiring to the artists that want to get out there, so, you know, hopefully that tradition continues on in the future.

Zack Snyder: I hope so, too. [turns to Debbie Snyder] Is that right? Is it right to hope for that? I guess...

Another audience member: Release the Snyder Cut!

[The audience applauds]

Zack Snyder: [nods in acknowledgment] I see. Subversion. It's fine.

Some fans thought they heard him say "some version" instead of subversion, thinking he meant to release some version of Justice League. But it sounds like he was making a joke about fans being subversive, to undermine the authority of Warner Bros. and push for his director's cut on Justice League.

Here's a video from Twitter so you can watch and listen for yourself.

The "I hope so too" -- and the way he said it -- to me, that said the most. I'm kind of surprised he didn't take that moment to thank the passionate fans for pushing for his vision of Justice League. They are the ones that still tweet #ReleaseTheSnyderCut. The Justice League cast would like to see Snyder's intended director's cut too; Jason Momoa said he was obsessed with the Snyder Cut and wanted to see it.

Zack Snyder ended up stepping away (or was forced away) as the director of Justice League due to a personal family tragedy. Joss Whedon took over for reshoots, and a lot changed from what Snyder had envisioned for the film -- and pretty much negated what he had planned to do next. The resulting Justice League film made a decent amount of money ($657,924,295 worldwide) but it didn't really make anyone happy.

Recently, one of Zack Snyder's longtime collaborators, photographer Clay Enos, said what happened with Justice League would "go down in film history as some sort of terrible wrong that can be righted, creatively." He said we need a cultural shift that prioritizes auteur filmmaking from director's with a specific vision.

It does seem like Warner Bros./DC may have learned some lessons after the frustrations of Justice League. They found a hit with James Wan's $1 billion Aquaman and look to have a crowd-pleaser with Shazam! Word is, Warner Bros. is shying away from the shared universe to focus more on individual stories and director's visions. So some good seems to be coming out of the whole mess.

Wait, Does Bond 25 Not Have A Script?

Wait, Does Bond 25 Not Have A Script?

Yesterday James Bond fans were treated to a major reveal event online which presented the cast of the upcoming 25th James Bond film. We saw who was returning to the franchise, including, of course, Daniel Craig, in the lead role. We also saw some brand new faces, such as Rami Malek who will play the unnamed film's unnamed villain. However, while everything appears to be ready to rock for the new movie, a new report claims the movie is about to get underway without a completed script.

The report comes from Page Six an it cites and unnamed source, "close to Bond 25" that says the reason that we didn't get a title for the new Bond movie as part of yesterday's reveal is that there isn't one, and also, there's no script. It seems that the plot synopsis that was given, which sees the film open with James Bond retired in Jamaica, is set, but what exactly happens after that isn't exactly clear.

It's certainly no secret that the latest Bond movie has had some issues when it comes to the script. The first script for the movie was written by John Hodge when Danny Boyle was going to direct the movie. However, when Boyle left the production, that script was thrown out.

The script was then given back to Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who have been responsible for the last several James Bond scripts, including all of them during Daniel Craig's tenure as the character.

However, it seems that whatever Purvis and Wade came up with wasn't quite what people were looking for either, as Scott Z. Burns, a noted script doctor, was reportedly brought in overhaul the story.

As part of yesterday's reveal, it was confirmed that Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Scott Z Burns, all have writing credits on the new script. It also adds a fourth name that was recently announced Phoebe Waller-Bridge. It seems Daniel Craig himself has brought in Waller-Bridge at the last minute to add some wit to the story..

Bond 25 has already seen its release date pushed back once and it's difficult to imagine that the big casting reveal would have taken place yesterday if everybody involved wasn't at least confident enough in the information that was shared. That means it's unlikely the story is going to change so much that anybody who was announced as being in the movie won't actually be in the movie.

It's certainly possible that there are some questions in the script and that it isn't technically "final," but lots of films go through changes while shooting and it would be a mistake to read too much into that.

Considering that we're dealing with unnamed sources with mysterious connections to the production, it's hard to be particularly confident in this report.

If there is truth to this, we could see the new film's production get delayed once again, or see it potentially take much longer than anticipated to film. If neither of those things happen, then it would seem that whatever issues the script might be having, they're not all that important.

Jared Leto 'Definitely' Wants To Play The Joker Again

Jared Leto 'Definitely' Wants To Play The Joker Again

DC has two hits in a row with Aquaman and Shazam! both scoring positive reviews and nice box office totals. The next film to hit theaters will be Joker, an alternate take on the classic villain that's entirely divorced from the DCEU. That means that the film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix, will have nothing to do with the Joker played by Jared Leto. The future of Leto's Joker is pretty up in the air right now, but as far as the actor is concerned, he's down to clown whenever.

Jared Leto's take on the Joker has appeared so far in just one movie: Suicide Squad. The film was hit with negative reviews, many of which took issue with Leto's performance. Both critics and fans have had issues with the version of the Joker, from his controversial face tattoos to his odd acting choices.

Ultimately, several scenes featuring the Joker were cut, and it's been unclear what the future holds for character after he was poorly received. Despite the bad reception, Jared Leto wouldn't turn down a chance to play the character again.

I would definitely play the Joker again. It all depends on the script and the circumstances, as it always does.

Though it depends on a few factors, Leto told Variety that he would definitely return as the Joker if the stars aligned in just the right way.

While there were rumors that Jared Leto's Joker would get his own standalone film, that doesn't seem to be in the cards anymore. However, he's been rumored to appear in the upcoming Birds of Prey movie that features Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. So, could he be back for that? Leto isn't quite sure.

I don't think so, but you have to ask them.

Either he's been purposefully cagey to hide spoilers or we genuinely shouldn't expect to see the Joker in Birds of Prey (which I am okay with). Either way, Jared Leto doesn't seem to mind much which film he's in. He had a great time filming the Joker in Suicide Squad and he thinks it's a real great time to be excited by superhero movies.

I loved it. I love these films because they get people excited to go to the movies again, or just period, I don't know about again. So I think that's a miracle. Five, 10 years ago, I don't know if we thought there would be people this excited to go to the movies this weekend. So I think that's a celebration. It created a mythology that people love, and the actors are phenomenal. I mean, I'm all in. I love it. I think it's a blast.

He's definitely right about how superhero movies are attracting large crowds to the theater. Avengers: Endgame is the ultimate proof of that and you can't blame Jared Leto for wanting to be a part of something so large.

It's cool that Jared Leto is still upbeat about his experiences as the Joker, considering the online reaction to both his performance and the movie itself. It's unclear if Leto will get a second chance, but he's currently busy filming another superhero movie with the Sony/Marvel film Morbius. Stick with CinemaBlend and we'll keep you updated on all the latest news.

Aladdin’s Will Smith Really Wanted To Pay Homage To Robin Williams

Aladdin’s Will Smith Really Wanted To Pay Homage To Robin Williams

It’s been a while since Will’s Smith musical career was as hot as his acting gigs, so it would be easy to forget the man’s capable of bringing a lot to the table in the way of music. In the case of Disney’s live action Aladdin, Smith has revealed that it was through the movie’s musical components that he was able to channel and pay homage to late actor Robin Williams.

Previously, Will Smith has talked about how he was able to lend a hip-hop influence to songs like “Friend Like Me,” but in a recent interview he took this explanation further, explaining how playing with the BPM range allowed for both his vision and Robin Williams’ original to shine through. He said:

The music was really how I saw my way in to be able to play the Genie. That first day messing around with ‘Friend Like Me,’ I noticed that it was in the BPM range of old-school hip-hop. So when I started playing with it, it was like, ‘Oh man — this really lends itself to a tempo and a flavor that I really understand.’ And that showed me how I could pay homage to Robin and not change the songs so much, so people would have the nostalgic value, but then also be able to come with my own flavor.

Of course Robin Williams’ version has a lot of energy and enthusiasm. It’s a big number and it even won a nod for best song at the 65th Academy Awards, so it's no real surprise Will Smith would tell Variety that he looked at the iconic performance and what it did while he was crafting his own version. But first, here's the Williams version:

Along with the in-movie song, a separate rap version with DJ Khaled is incorporated into the end credits of Aladdin. Will Smith also brings his own energy to the performance, as he has shown to the press in the weeks leading into Aladdin.

The original animated Aladdin was one of Robin Williams’ most notable performances, winning awards and nods when it came out back in 1992. With Disney remaking a lot of its live action properties, it was only a matter of time before Aladdin got the call.

It would have taken a pretty special performer to even try to measure up to the voice work Robin Williams put in. Of the choices, Will Smith is a big, bold personality with his own ideas.

Related: In Defense Of Will Smith’s Big, Blue Genie In Aladdin

Will Smith has also mentioned that he almost said no to taking on the role, specifically because Robin Williams knocked it out of the park when he played the Genie nearly thirty years ago. Ultimately, the hip-hop narrative is what drove the actor to say “yes” and the rest is history.

The kind of history that makes $86 million domestically and $207 million worldwide on opening weekend. It seems like people dig whatever Will Smith and co. are doing.