Michael Bay Claims Sony Thought ‘Bad Boys’ Wouldn’t Sell Overseas With 2 Black Actors

Sony Allegedly Thought ‘Bad Boys’ Would Flop Because 2 Black Actors Don’t Sell Overseas

Director Michael Bay is claiming the studio was skeptical of financing his 1995 action film starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence because they thought the movie wouldn’t make money overseas.

“Sony didn’t believe in the movie, because [they said] two black actors don’t sell overseas,” the director alleged in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

“I was watching James Cameron’s ‘True Lies’ and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this guy has so much money. I have only $9 million. “They had no faith in it,” Bay continued. “They shut me down, literally. They shut the power off. That’s how rude they were on this movie.”

 

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The director then stated: “Luckily, I had 500 days of a film set experience doing videos, commercials, working with some of the most famous athletes in the world, and that’s where you really, truly know how to deal with a-holes.”

“Bad Boys” became a box-office blockbuster, raising more than $141 million worldwide. After the success of Bad Boys the production had no choice but to make a sequel. Boy Boys 2 is still a highly debate topic when it comes to which one was the better movie.

According to the box office tickets, the sequel made $138 million North America and $135 million in other territories, totaling $273 million worldwide against a budget of $130 million — almost twice the gross of the original film.

Most recently the acting duo released Bad Boys For Life which earned $199 million domestic and around $407 million worldwide on a $90 million budget.