Bad Boys 4 Isn't On Hold After All, According To Sony Chairman Tom Rothman

Fans of the "Bad Boys" franchise will be happy to know that "Bad Boys 4" is not on hold at all. Sony Chairman Tom Rothman explained that the film has been "in development and still is," per Deadline:

"That movie's been in development and still is. There weren't any brakes to pump because the car wasn't moving. That was a very unfortunate thing that happened, and I don't think it's really my place to comment, except to say that I've known Will Smith for many years, and I know him to be a good person. That was an example of a very good person having a very bad moment, in front of the world. I believe his apology and regret is genuine, and I believe in forgiveness and redemption."

The Will Smith Oscars debacle was the sole reason behind the rumors of "Bad Boys 4" being on hold, which Rothman addresses in his own way. The less we talk about the incident at this point, the better, as the debacle had managed to dominate the internet for months on end since the Academy Awards ceremony in March.

The third film in the "Bad Boys" saga, "Bad Boys for Life," had garnered positive reviews after being stuck in developmental hell for years. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Michael Bay helmed the first two films in the franchise), "Bad Boys for Life" saw the return of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in their respective roles as Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett.

Mike has a near-death experience after an attempted murder, leading the duo to attempt to figure out who is behind the attack. This leads them on a trail of dangerous assassins, forcing them to work with various parties in order to be able to get to the bottom of things. As the film ends with a major revelation about Mike, "Bad Boys 4" could potentially take up this particular storyline, which would obviously involve Smith and Lawrence reprising their roles.

Per Rothman's statement, it seems that "Bad Boys 4" is in the works after all, and that we could possibly hear production updates about the fourth installment fairly soon.

The cast for "Bad Boys for Life" included Paola Núñez as Lieutenant Rita Secada, Vanessa Hudgens as Kelly, Alexander Ludwig as Dorn, Charles Melton, Jacob Scipio as Armando Aretas, Kate del Castillo as Isabel 'La Bruja' Aretas, Nicky Jam as Lorenzo 'Zway-Lo' Rodríguez, Joe Pantoliano as Captain Conrad Howard, and Theresa Randle as Theresa Burnett. The film also includes special appearances from Michael Bay and DJ Khaled.

As "Bad Boys 4" is still in development, a release date has not been revealed as of yet.