The Bad Boys 4 Life cast is filling out.
According to an exclusive Variety report, Vanessa Hudgens will join Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the highly anticipated action/comedy. Sources confirmed her involvement Thursday, and announced she will be joined by Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games and Grown Ups 2) and Charles Melton (Riverdale). Though there aren't many details about the young actors' respective roles, insiders claim they will play members of a "highly specialized police unit" that conflict with the old-school detective duo Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence).
Variety reports Hudgens, Ludwig, and Melton were selected after a series of chemistry tests with Smith and Lawrence. Sources say the Bad Boys team has yet to pick its villain.
The upcoming sequel marks the third installment in the Bad Boys franchise, following 2003's Bad Boys II. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have signed on to direct the project based on a script by Peter Craig with rewrites by Joe Carnahan. Smith will produce the film alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Doug Belgrad. Barry Waldman, Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, and James Lassiter have signed on as executive producers.
Smith and Lawernece announced Bad Boys for Life via Instagram last month:
The sequel will reportedly start shooting next month, and will hit U.S. theaters on Jan. 17, 2020.
