'Bad Boys 3' release date, latest news: 'Bad Boys 3' delayed? 'Bad Boy 4' removed from schedule

The third "Bad Boys" movie, "Bad Boys for Life," has officially been delayed. Not only is "Bad Boys 3" moved back by almost a year, a planned fourth installment in the "Bad Boys" film franchise has also been removed from Sony's schedule completely.

"Bad Boys for Life" is supposed to reunite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, with Joe Carnahan tapped to direct it. As reported by Movie Web, the project was announced by Sony more than two years ago, but no significant update has been shared by the movie company since then. In December, Will Smith did, however, reveal that "Bad Boys 3" was "very, very close" to getting done.

In a report from Exhibitor Relations via their Twitter account, it is claimed that "Bad Boys 3" has been delayed by ten months. Instead of premiering on Jan. 12, 2018, the movie will reportedly roll out as a holiday film vehicle on Nov. 9, 2018. The fate of "Bad Boys 4," on the other hand, remains uncertain.

There is no specific reason for the delay, according to the report from Exhibitor Relations. However, the news of the film's delay comes after reports that Smith is in talks to star as the lead in Disney's live-action adaptation of "Dumbo," which will be directed by Tim Burton.

If Disney did succeed in securing Smith for the role, his involvement with "Dumbo" would have a "significant effect" on "Bad Boys 3." With suggestions that both movies were scheduled to shoot at the same time, Smith's role in "Dumbo" is possibly the reason why "Bad Boys for Life" has to be delayed.

The last "Bad Boys" movie ("Bad Boys 2") was released back in 2003 and was directed by Michael Bay. The movie went on to gross $273 million worldwide against a reported budget of $130 million. This means that 15 years will have already passed by the time the next installment to the "Bad Boys" movie franchise is released worldwide.