Michael Bay Revealed Sony 'Had No Faith' In 'Bad Boys'

Hollywood director Michael Bay recently divulged that Sony didn't have high expectations for his famous work, "Bad Boys." The comedy-action was released in 1995 and became one of the most commercially successful films of the year, with over $140 million in gross profit.

The first movie's success led to a sequel in 2003 titled "Bad Boys II," which was also successful. The franchise's latest installment, "Bad Boys for Life," was directed by Adil and Bilall and released in 2020. It earned over $400 million worldwide and was the highest-grossing movie in the franchise.

Bay directed the franchise's first two movies and recently opened up to the challenges of the first film. According to the "Ambulance" director, Sony initially didn't think the comedy movie would be successful mainly because the two main characters were Black.

Bay revealed that one of his signature films, "Bad Boys," didn't have the best start. The "Ambulance" director was in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, where he revealed that the studio in charge, Sony, didn't have much faith in the film's success.

This was apparently because they believed, wrongly so, that the featured Black lead actors would do a poor job of bringing in international interest. The lead characters refer to Will Smith and Martian Lawrence. The duo played two Miami detectives.

Bay revealed, "Sony didn't believe in the movie because two Black Actors don't sell overseas. They had no faith in it." After watching James Cameron's "True Lies," the director said that he asked the studio for more money because his $9 million wasn't going to cut it but was shut down.

"They shut the power off. That's how rude they were on this movie," Bay disclosed. "Luckily, I had 500 days of film set experience doing videos, commercials, working with some of the most famous athletes in the world, and that's where you really truly know how to deal with a--holes."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm12NSa8jsM

Despite the sizable restrictions, Bay managed to create an iconic piece, even going as far as coming up with a very famous shot that films still imitate. The 360-degree spin in "Bad Boys" around Smith and Lawrence was the movie's most iconic shot.

The inspiration came to Bay while the director was driving with his line producer in his van. He immediately asked for the circle trolley, and the rest was history. "We made this round move, and you guys rise up, and it became a very famous shot," he said.

"People try to imitate it, but it was a seminal moment." The "Bad Boys II" director revealed that the entire production had a sizable part in changing "the game on Black actors." It was also the first movie with Black leads that did remarkably well overseas.

After its release in April 1995, "Bad Boys" grossed around $141 million worldwide. Subsequent sequels were released years later, which grossed even higher than the original movie. Bay directed one of the two sequels.

Smith's subsequent fandom in Hollywood can be linked to the movie's success. It was released before "Independence Day," and despite the success of "Bad Boys" overseas, the "Bright" actor was initially rejected by the movie studio.

In July 2021, Roland Emerick, "Independence Day" director, revealed that the studio's reason for rejecting Smith was once again linked to the reception of the overseas audience. The actor was eventually cast in the movie, and the $817 million gross blew the previous concerns out of water.

Bay's newest project is an action thriller titled "Ambulance." In the 2022 movie, the 57-year-old will serve as both the director and producer. It is reportedly based on a similarly named Danish film by Laurits Munch-Petersen and Lars Andreas Pedersen.

The movie's cast members include Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Eiza Gonzáles, and others. It was first announced in 2015; however, the numerous crew changes led to its delay. The premise follows the actions of two adoptive brothers who are bank robbers and a heist that involved an ambulance and two hostage responders.

"Ambulance" was released in Paris, France, on March 20, 2022, and in the US on April 8. It received mixed reviews from critics, with most of the negativity stemming from the storyline. Since its release, the movie has grossed under $33 million to its $40 million production budget.