Will Smith and Michael Bay are set to reunite for Fast and Loose 21 years after making Bad Boys II together. Smith and Bay first collaborated on the original Bad Boys in 1995 before then re-teaming for the sequel in 2003. The two haven't worked together since, with the Bad Boys franchise continuing under directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi. Smith's most recent project is Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024), while Bay's is Ambulance (2022).
Now, a new report from Deadline reveals that Smith and Bay will be reuniting for a new Netflix action movie called Fast and Loose, with Bay currently in final negotiations to direct. Assuming Bay officially signs on, the film is said to serve as the next project for both him and Smith, though no start date is set just yet. The news follows reports that Smith had dropped out of filming an action movie called Sugar Bandits. The logline for Fast and Loose is included below:
Fast and Loose follows a man who wakes up in Tijuana with no memories. As he pieces together his past, he learns he’s been living two lives: one as a crime kingpin and the other as an undercover CIA agent.
Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Chris Bremner and Eric Pearson wrote the script for the project, with producers including Kelly McCormick and David Leitch for 87North and Smith. Westbrook executives Jon Mone and Ryan Shimazaki are also in negotiations to produce for Westbrook after previously working with Smith on Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024). Executive producers include Robert Simonds and Noah Fogelson for STXfilms, and Barry Waldman.
Bay previously collaborated with Netflix on 6 Underground (2019).
What Will Smith & Michael Bay's Reunion Means For Fast And Loose
The Action Film Has The Potential To Be A Big Hit For Netflix
Bad Boys II may not have been a critical success, but it was a modest box office hit, and it has since become an action genre favorite. The movie cements some of Bay's stylistic flourishes that have since become staples of his films, such as the rotating hero shot from a low angle. With Ambulance, Bay affirmed his commitment to over-the-top, maximalist action and inventive set pieces, and Fast and Loose would surely see the director operating in this space once more.
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After his infamous Oscars slap in 2022, it was unclear whether audiences would still embrace Smith as a movie star. The success of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, however, has seemingly affirmed that anger over Smith's Oscars slap is more of an online phenomenon, and it doesn't carry much weight for general movie-goers. The most recent Bad Boys movie grossed $404 million worldwide, suggesting that Bay and Smith's upcoming Netflix collaboration could end up being a major viewership hit.
Our Take On Fast And Loose
Can It Repeat Ambulance's Positive Reviews?
Ambulance earned some of Bay's most positive reviews in years and, though it wasn't a box office hit, it was a major viewership success on Netflix, just as 6 Underground was. As a Netflix release, Fast and Loose probably won't get much theater play, if any, but the project still has the potential to continue Bay's comeback. With Smith still a proven draw for viewers, the ingredients for success are certainly there.
Ambulance sports a 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, an improvement over 6 Underground (36%) and Transformers: The Last Knight (16%), among other titles.
Whether Fast and Loose can stand above other action titles, however, will depend on the story that anchors the thrilling action. Bay's career is filled with movies that were either panned or earned mixed reviews, and the fact that there are four credited writers on Fast and Loose could be a cause for concern. With Bay not even officially signed on for Fast and Loose, however, the project won't be shooting until some point next year, with a release likely to follow in 2026 or beyond. A first look at the film, then, is a long way off.
Source: Deadline
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