Dead Movie Franchises That Got A Second Chance

The «Bad Boys» franchise is no stranger to long sequel gaps; after all, «Bad Boys II» came out eight years after the original. However, the franchise outdid itself with «Bad Boys for Life,» which took decades to get off the ground. When it did, however, it made a jaw-dropping comeback. At the time of its release, «Bad Boys for Life» boasted the second-biggest opening weekend of any January film. The first two films were loathed by critics, but the legacy sequel earned itself a «Certified Fresh» score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rather than simply giving the sequel the generic title of «Bad Boys III,» the filmmakers instead made a callback to something Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) said in «Bad Boys II,» choosing the title «Bad Boys for Life.» The third film focused on what drew fans to the franchise to begin with — the playful banter between the two leads.

The first two films in the franchise were directed by Michael Bay, but for the third film, Sony decided to pass the reins to two up-and-coming directors: Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. These two relative newcomers, who had only done indie films before, were overjoyed to be given a chance to direct a blockbuster in the franchise they had loved since childhood. «That is something you cannot forget,» the pair told Inverse. Sony’s risk totally paid off: «Bad Boys for Life» surpassed the previous two films in every way.