Filmmaker Michael Bay, director of the iconic action franchise 'Bad Boys', revealed that Sony Pictures Studios did not have faith in the project because of an unfounded belief that Black actors "don't attract" international audiences.
"Sony didn't believe in the movie, because two Black actors don't sell overseas," Bay recently told Entertainment Weekly.
"They had no faith in it. I was watching James Cameron's 'True Lies' and I'm like, 'Oh, my God, this guy has so much money.' I have only USD 9 million. And they shut me down, literally. They shut the power off. That's how rude they were on this movie. Luckily I had 500 days of 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*******," Michael added.
He also recollected times when Sony denied providing him with enough resources to shoot particular action sequences.
Grossing USD 141 million worldwide, 'Bad Boys' premiered in April 1995, with the second part of the franchise 'Bad Boys II' releasing in 2003. The reunion of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence on the big screen earned a whopping USD 273 million at the worldwide box office.
The third instalment of the franchise, 'Bad Boys for Life' had released in January 2020 ahead of the pandemic and earned USD 426 million worldwide.
( With inputs from ANI )
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