Martin Lawrence to Film “Young Martin” Series Prequel

In recent years, Martin Lawrence fans have had much to celebrate. The actor returned to the Bad Boys franchise alongside Will Smith in both 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life” and 2024’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” and participated in the Martin reunion special streaming on BET. Now, it appears that interest in the ‘90s sitcom universe is growing, and a new project is in development. This project will take a page from Smith’s “Bel-Air” by presenting a more dramatic take on the material.

Instead of the expected return to form that many hoped for after the reunion rekindled interest in a revival (which Tisha Campbell spoke positively about in 2022), this new venture will be different. Lawrence’s production company, RunTelDat, is partnering with WonderHill Studios to create an hour-long origin story called “Young Martin.”

According to Deadline, this new series will follow Martin Payne during his teenage years as he transitions into adulthood. This version of Martin will be a positive-minded, boisterous, and empathetic character who loves making his friends and family members laugh. The show will explore various personal relationships, with Martin navigating the challenges between being a young & an adult and taking the next step in life. Understandably, his large personality and attitude will get him into some stressful and hindering situations as he strives for success.

It’s not entirely clear if Martin will be aiming for a radio host career in the new show to match up with the character’s profession in the sitcom. Additionally, it’s unclear how many of the established characters will be reimagined for this new project and which ones we can expect to see. (Personally, I’m holding out for Tisha Campbell to join the show as Gina’s mom)

Martin Lawrence will serve as an executive producer on “Young Martin,” but it’s unknown whether he will have more creative input as the project comes together. It’s presumed he won’t be back in a starring capacity, but we’re still at the “anything is possible” stage.

It’s interesting to note the parallels between Will Smith’s “Fresh Prince” and Lawrence’s “Martin.” Both sitcoms’ male leads had feuds with female co-stars (Smith with Janet Hubert and Lawrence with Tisha Campbell) and both reconciled in connection with high-profile streaming reunion specials. The “Fresh Prince” reunion aired on Max in 2020, while “Martin’s” was a BET+ exclusive in 2022.

What’s next for the “Bad Boys” franchise? Fans are eagerly awaiting news about a possible “Bad Boys 5” as they continue to enjoy the dynamic duo of Marcus (Martin Lawrence) and Mike (Will Smith) in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.”