Not content with dipping into and reviving past properties like Ghostbusters, Magnificent Seven and The Craft, Sony is now looking to get going on its long in-development second Bad Boys sequel and they may have found their guy to do it.
Deadline is reporting that the studio is in early talks with Joe Carnahan to do a pass on the existing script and to possibly sign on to direct thereafter. The current script was penned by David Guggenheim, who wrote the Ryan Reynolds-Denzel Washington actioner Safe House, but obviously the studio wants its changed at least somewhat.
Carnahan has had an eclectic career, spanning eveything from the impressively gritty Narc to the big-screen reboot of The A-Team to the critically acclaimed “Liam Neeson – Wolf Puncher” survival flick The Grey, among others. Who most recently made the bonkers crime-comedy Stretch, with Patrick Wilson (I highly recommend you seek it out), and currently has the DreamWorks project Motorcade in the works.
Nothing is for absolute certain yet but it appears Sony want to get moving on another Bad Boys movie as quickly as possible so that they can snap up Will Smith to return once he’s finished filming Suicide Squad. It’s expected/hoped Smith will return with co-star Martin Lawrence, who helped the first two movie make an impressive $400+ at the box office. They were both directed by Michael Bay but I’d definitely like to see it fall into hands like Carnahan.
Source: Deadline