Will Smith dropped out of the 2023 Grammys Big Willy Style. While walking the red carpet on the night of the big event, Questlove, who served as the show’s producer, spoke with Variety about what could have been.
“I’ll give the spoiler alert away. Will Smith was a part of the festivities tonight, but they started shooting Bad Boys 4 this week. There were a lot of preliminary shots that he had to do, so we had to lose Will,” Quest told a red carpet reporter for the outlet. As previously reported by REVOLT, the Grammys saluted 50 years of hip hop during their live broadcast on Sunday (Feb. 5) night. The star-studded tribute included performances from some of the biggest acts who pushed the culture forward for half a century, including pioneers like Queen Latifah and Run-D.M.C. to newcomers like GloRilla and Lil Baby.
The Roots drummer added that he knew getting the A-list actor for the big night would be “a shot in the dark” because Smith is “always shooting movies.” Rumors have swirled about the “1,000 Kisses” hitmaker’s on-screen revival of Detective Mike Lowrey for years. In January 2020, The Hollywood Reporter claimed the follow-up to Bad Boys for Life was already in development. Last year, there was discussion of the project being shelved, but last month, Smith put the rumors to rest. In an Instagram clip posted to the actor’s page, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” filmed himself riding in his car, hinting at an announcement. The 54-year-old queued up Murphy Lee, Nelly and Diddy’s 2003 smash hit, “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” which appeared on the Bad Boys II soundtrack. Next, he arrived at the home of none other than Martin Lawerence, who plays Detective Marcus Burnett in the franchise.
“It’s about that time!” Lawrence enthusiastically said. “Bad boys for life, baby,” Smith added. The original film was released in 1995 and featured the two comedic actors portraying crime-fighting narcotics detectives in Miami. Smith’s latest film, Emancipation, hit theaters in 2022. That same year, he also won an Oscar for his stellar performance as Venus and Serena Williams’ father in King Richard. We can’t wait to see what he and Lawrence cook up for their next installment.