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Director Michael Bay Departs Will Smith's Fast And Loose At Netflix

Director Michael Bay has stepped away from Netflix's Fast and Loose due to creative differences with star Will Smith.

Published Fri, 08 Aug 2025 08:17:03 -0500

Article Summary

Michael Bay exits Netflix's Fast and Loose over creative differences with Will Smith on film's tone.
The project was first announced in 2021 with David Leitch attached, who departed the project in March 2022.
Smith and Bay reportedly disagreed on whether to emphasize comedy or action in Fast and Loose.
Despite losing directors, Netflix and Will Smith are still targeting an October production start.

It seems that a project over at Netflix is having difficulty finding the right creative team. Fast and Loose first hit the market all the way back in July 2021 when they acquired the rights from STX Films. At the time, Will Smith was set to star and David Leitch was signed on to direct. However, Netflix couldn't get the project off the ground, and in late March 2022, Leitch left the project. Following Smith's Oscar Incident, Netflix put the project on hold until October 2024, when it was confirmed that Michael Bay would be directing, reuniting the two of them after Bad Boys in 1995.

However, it sounds like creative differences are again getting in the way of a project, and despite working together before, Bay and Smith were having a hard time deciding the film's tone. According to Deadline, Bay decided to walk away from Fast and Loose because they couldn't decide if they wanted more comedy or action. Deadline's sources said, "Bay wanted more emphasis on the former [action] while Smith wanted to lean into the latter [comedy]." Considering the trajectory of both of their careers, that makes sense.

: MIAMI, FLORIDA – JUNE 05: Will Smith attends the "Bad Boys: Ride Or Die" Miami Screening on June 05, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Entertainment) 2024 Alexander Tamargo

: LOS ANGELES, April 8th 2025: Netflix logo close up outside Netflix studios Hollywood building on Vine Street. Editorial credit: Alex Millauer / Shutterstock.com

: HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MAY 30: Michael Bay attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Columbia Pictures' "Bad Boys: Ride Or Die" at the TCL Chinese Theater on May 30, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures) 2024 Eric Charbonneau

Fast and Loose follows "a man who wakes up in Tijuana with no memories. As he pieces together his past, he learns he's been living two lives: one as a crime kingpin and the other as an undercover CIA agent." When the project was first announced, it named Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber as the writers, but in the last few years, they have also brought on Chris Bremner and Eric Pearson. Despite the setback of not having a director, it sounds like Netflix and Smith are still shooting for an October start date. At the moment, there aren't any names floating around as the third director to attempt to take on this project, but it sounds like it'll have to be someone willing to go along with what Smith wants.

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