Why did Michael Bay exit Netflix's "Fast and Loose"? Will Smith-starring movie's troubled history explored as actor becomes second person to quit

Director and producer Michael Bay, known for his work in the Transformers franchise, has reportedly exited the Fast and Loose movie. On August 7, The Hollywood Reporter published a report stating that the reason behind Bay’s exit from the Netflix action movie is differing opinions with actor Will Smith.

Michael Bay had previously worked with Will Smith on the Bad Boys franchise. Meanwhile, the production process for Fast and Loose is expected to start in 2026. The film’s pitch, sold to Netflix, was written by Erich and Jon Hoeber. The screenplay was later developed by Eric Pearson, Chris Bremner, and the Hoebers.

According to Deadline, the film comprised elements of action and comedy. While Bay wanted to focus on action, Smith leaned more toward comedy, which reportedly led to creative differences.

David Leitch was also associated with the project, but he left it to direct the 2024 comedy The Fall Guy. In 2022, The Hollywood Reporter published an exclusive report stating that after Will Smith’s slap incident at the Oscars, Netflix decided to delay Fast and Loose, sources mentioned.

Following the Oscars incident, Smith released a statement, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter:

“Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”

Will Smith said he broke the trust of the Academy and took away the special moment from others who worked hard and won awards. He felt sad about what happened. He wanted people to focus again on those who truly earned praise for their work and let the Academy continue its important job of supporting movies and creativity.

Michael Bay on using drones and working with Martin Lawrence

In 2022, Bay sat down with Jake Hamilton to discuss his work. Hamilton asked Bay about the importance of drones in his movie. Michael Bay said drones might not always add an exciting element in the film, as he felt they lack speed and agility. Hamilton asked which among all his characters in his films would be his favorite. The director said:

“I mean maybe Martin Lawrence could be.”

Michael Bay talked about working with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith during their first movie. He remembered a moment when they were filming in a car in Miami, and the movie studio didn’t believe in their film at that time.

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While filming, Will Smith said something that made Martin upset, and he almost wanted to punch him. Michael Bay had to stop the scene and calm things down. Later, he gave both actors some directions to help them act out the scene better. It was a fun but intense memory, and he said it was all part of the friendly competition between them.

Michael Bay shared that when he made the movie Bad Boys, most people didn’t believe it would do well. After it came out, the audience loved it, and it became popular. Bay said it was also special because it was the first movie with two Black stars that became a hit in other countries, too. After that, he worked on The Rock, which also became a big success and helped him become more well-known.

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