As is often the case, “Bad Boys 3” found itself stuck in development hell for several years. Between screenwriters coming and going and Will Smith’s busy schedule as one of the most in-demand leading men in the business, it proved challenging to have all of the pieces come together at the right time. Even so, more than a decade after “Bad Boys II” hit theaters, optimism persisted.

“I believe so. Yes,” Lawrence said in 2014 when asked by Conan O’Brien if “Bad Boys 3” was still going to happen. “I just talked to [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer yesterday and he said it’s real, they’re working on the script, they’re getting close and it all looks good.” Earlier that same year, Bruckheimer explained that so much of it came down to bad timing.

“We’ll get Sony real excited to make the movie, and then Will [Smith] is off doing two movies. And then, Will will come back and be real excited about it, and Sony will say, ‘Well, maybe it’s not the time for this.’ And then, ‘Ride Along’ came out and was a big hit, and now they’re all excited to make the movie, but Will is off doing something else.

As Marcus Burnett might say, “s*** just got real” when Sony announced in 2015 that both “Bad Boys 3” and “Bad Boys 4” had locked down release dates in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Six years after the sequel officially entered development, the studio was doubling down. Be that as it may, things once again stalled. Lawrence, speaking in 2017, cast doubt on the sequel ever coming to fruition.

“I don’t think we’re going to get one, not the way everything’s turning out. Will is off doing another movie, and I don’t think it’s going to happen.”