It’s been 15 years since Bad Boys II was released, but it now looks like Sony Columbia Pictures is finally going ahead with a third Bad Boys film.

According to Variety, a third instalment, Bad Boys for Life is set to go into production in early 2019, with a release planned for 2020 (potentially opening in the US on the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend – which would fall on 17 – 20 January that year). Will Smith is confirmed to reprise his role as Detective Mike Lowrey, while Martin Lawrence is currently still negotiating the details of playing Detective Marcus Burnett again.

A third film has always been talked about and at one point had Joe Carnahan slated to direct. The latest draft of the script from Chris Bremner has the producers happy enough to finally begin production. No plot details have been revealed, but according to an interview Variety conducted with Columbia Pictures president Sanford Panitch on the revival of popular franchises, Panitch said, “If we’re going to make another Bad Boys after 15 years, it’s got to be next-level great.”

The first two films were directed by Michael Bay and earned over $410 million worldwide. Bay will not be involved with the third film, with directing duties instead being handed over to Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, having directed episodes of FX’s Snowfall, and the feature film Gangsta. Panitch described them as “amazing”, having “loved the first movies.”