Director Joe Carnahan Says Will Smith Was The Reason He Dropped Out Of “Bad Boys 3”

Bad Boys 3 has officially finished filming and while we assume Bilall Fallah, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah all did an exceptional job as directors, Joe Carnahan (who was originally signed on to direct) has now explained why he left the project. The Grey and Narc director chatted with The Collider on Friday and detailed how his creative differences with Will Smith is what broke the camel’s back.

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“I love Will, he’s a great guy,” he said. “I just know myself. And I thought what we were doing at that point was the law of diminishing returns. I wasn’t servicing the story that I was really excited about telling, that the studio had greenlit. And again, this isn’t to throw shade at Will — it’s your face on the poster, it’s your name on the poster, you need to do things the way you want them done.”

We’re not sure what the ending of the upcoming third installment will be but Joe assures us that his was a good one, calling it “one of the best endings I’ve ever written in any movie.”

Bad Boys For Life opens January 17, 2020.