It appears Sony Pictures is going to have a full plate in 2017 as it recently released its list of upcoming films for the year – including two Bad Boys sequels and even a Jumanji remake, though the latter is raising some serious questions with fans of the Robin Williams original.
Due to the big box-office success of Bad Boys 2, it’s surprising that a third instalment of the action-comedy has taken over 12 years to come to fruition – especially considering Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have always expressed their interest in filming another sequel. Unfortunately, original director Michael Bay will not be returning to the directors helm and instead has handed over his directors chair to Smokin’ Aces (2006) visionary Joe Carahan with Safe House (2012) writer David Guggenheim attached to pen the screenplay.
Though Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have often spoken of sequels, both actors have yet to officially commit to the projects, leaving some questions as to the potential direction of this franchise were they not to pick up their characters again – something hopefully Sony will make clear in the coming months.
Another project announced by Sony Pictures is that of a Jumanji reboot – the hit film made famous by the late Robin Williams who played a boy trapped in a mysterious board game, only to be released as a man by two unsuspecting kids 25 years later.
Most details about the film and why Sony feel it necessary to reboot an already classic children’s film is a mystery to most I’m sure – it probably stems from rumours a couple of years ago regarding a potential sequel that would star Williams. In the wake of the announcement, the studio has seen a overwhelming backlash from social media users who’ve been more than forthcoming in regards to their anger at the prospect of another cinematic classic falling victim the over-active Hollywood remake system.
When Jumanji released back in 1995, it was seen as a marvel in terms of special effects that were just breaking through into main stream Hollywood. Many people were quick to criticise Sony for attempting to remake a film held sacred by fans of the late actor but despite their protests, the studio seems determined to push it into production having set a release date of Christmas Day, 2016.
Another big name release on the calendar is Jennifer Lawrence’s and Chris Pratt’s highly publicised sci-fi drama Passengers. The film has been the centre of a recent Hollywood storm regarding equal pay, a battle that has seen Lawrence recieve a $10 million pay increase over her male co-star. Something that seems unfair considering Pratt’s recent blockbuster Jurassic World became the third highest grossing film of all time, proving the actor to be a guaranteed money maker at the box office.
You can find the full list of the upcoming Sony Pictures releases below:
Money Monster – released: April 8, 2016
The Shallows – released: June 24, 2016
Ghostbusters – released: July 15, 2016
Patient Zero – released: September 2, 2016
The Magnificent Seven – released September 23, 2016
Underworld 5 – released: October 21, 2016
Passengers – released: December 21, 2016
Jumanji – released: December 25, 2016
The Dark Tower – released: January 13, 2017
Resident Evil 6 – released: January 20, 2017
Bad Boys 3 – released: February 17, 2017
Baby Driver – released: March 17, 2017
Barbie – released: June 2, 2017
Uncharted – released: June 30, 2017
The Lamb – released: December 8, 2017
Bad Boys 4 – released: July 3, 2019