Will Smith announces production start on 'Bad Boys 3'

Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Will Smith has announced on Instagram that production has started on Sony's upcoming action-comedy sequel Bad Boys for Life, stylized as Bad Boys for Lif3.

"Day 1. I'll keep y'all posted," Smith said on Sunday alongside what appears to be multiple scripts for the third entry in the series.

Smith previously confirmed on Instagram in November alongside Martin Lawrence that a third Bad Boys film was on the way.

Smith and Lawrence starred together as Miami detectives Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett respectively in 1995's Bad Boys and in 2003's Bad Boys II.

Bad Boys for Lif3 has a release date of Jan. 17, 2020. Filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are set to direct the film in place of Michael Bay who helmed the first two films.

Vanessa Hudgens, Charles Melton and Alexander Ludwig are set to star as a highly specialized police unit that clashes with Smith and Lawrence's more old school detectives.