The newly released third installment of the Bad Boys franchise, Bad Boys for Life, is currently doing very well both financially and critically, with the return of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence being hailed as an action movie triumph. So, it should come as no surprise that a fourth part is now on the cards.

Bad Boys 4 was announced in development this past week. Though who will be sitting in the director's chair remains a mystery, the duo directing team behind Bad Boys for Life, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, really hope that it's them. But is it a bad sign that the pair only learnt about the fourth installment in the same way the rest of us did, by reading about it online?

Adil: We saw the news, like everybody, on the Internet.

Bilall: They didn't call us yet, but I hope that we get the chance to do that, because we love this franchise, we loved our relationship with Will and Martin, so we're ready to do it!

Even though they have yet to be asked to return to the franchise they have so successfully brought back to the big screen, they seem very excited to throw their hats into the ring for Bad Boys 4. Incidentally, they must be kicking themselves that they did not save the third movie's title as Bad Boys 4 Life now seems like a missed opportunity. No doubt they'll just go with Bad Boys 4ever and be done with it.

Anyway, the studio would be mad not to reunite the winning team of Will Smith, Martin Lawrence and their directors, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, as Bad Boys for Life is currently sitting at 75 percent on Rotten Tomatoes which, for a sequel that has been years in the making, is almost miraculous.

Though, it needs to be said that Bad Boys 4 is not yet officially ready to go, with Bad Boys for Life co-writer Chris Bremner currently on script duties a lot can happen to derail a movie at this very early stage. Even if the script is a masterclass, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are set to be pretty busy for the foreseeable future, with the dynamic directing duo reportedly helming a different fourth installment of a beloved franchise, that of Beverly Hills Cop with Eddie Murphy.

If everything does fall nicely into place though, there are a few directions that Bad Boys 4 can go in, with a Bad Boys 3 mid-credits scene in the newest movie setting up what could come next.

For now, you'll just have to enjoy the third installment, Bad Boys for Life, which picks up with old-school cops Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett who once again team up to take down the vicious leader of a Miami drug cartel. Much explosions and witty dialogue ensues.

The film stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton, Paola Núñez, Kate del Castillo, Nicky Jam, and Joe Pantoliano alongside Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. This comes to us from Cinemablend.