Roommates, on April 7, 1995 “Bad Boys” starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith officially hit theaters and a classic was born! It was the first time the two comedy legends teamed up for the hilarious buddy cop comedy that involves the two switching identities to catch a drug dealer.
When “Bad Boys” was released in movie theaters 25 years ago in the spring of 1995, it was an instant success. Both Martin and Will were starring on two of the biggest television series’ at the time, with “Martin” airing on FOX and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” airing on NBC—and this project was the perfect way to get them together on the big screen.
Their chemistry was unmatched and easily made “Bad Boys” one of the biggest hits of the year and one of the most beloved movies of all-time. Produced for only $23 million, the movie went on to gross over $100 million at the box-office and produced two sequels, “Bad Boys II” in 2003 and “Bad Boys For Life” in January of this year.
For a little backstory on the film, it was originally written for two white male leads, but once that idea went out the window, Martin Lawrence was cast as Miami detective Marcus Burnett. Martin had the freedom to choose his co-star in the film—and thanks to his sister’s suggestion, he chose Will Smith after the two had dinner together. Another little fun fact, Arsenio Hall was offered the role of Mike Lowery, but he passed—a decision that he now says he regrets.
“Bad Boys” has been such a success over the last 25 years, that a fourth movie is already in the works, thanks to the phenomenal success of “Bad Boys for Life,” which is now the highest-grossing movie from the franchise. Happy Anniversary!
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