British born Latino actor Jacob Scipio (upcoming Without Remorse) portrays the main villain in Columbia Pictures’ new action thriller Bad Boys for Life, opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
In the film, Smith and Lawrence’s characters Mike and Marcus, certainly have their work cut out for them. Their prey – and vice versa – is a beautiful criminal overlord from Mike’s past, Isabel, along with her strong-willed and lethal son.
While Isabel was imprisoned, she gave birth to Armando – now a fully-grown assassin (Scipio). Upon her release, she works with Armando to make sure there’s no escape for those who wronged her, turning Armando into a spiteful weapon.
“Armando is a warrior who’s trained his entire life in martial arts and high-tech weaponry,” says producer Chad Oman. “He’s physically fit and essentially fearless. So, in every confrontation with Mike and Marcus, the two guys are overmatched. It’s going to take every bit of their resourcefulness, wisdom, and physical prowess to deal with him.”
“But Armando also has a code,” adds Scipio. “And that code is closely tied to his mother’s. They’re incredibly close. He was raised in prison – it was just the two of them in a cell until he was six years old. So, their bond is incredibly powerful. Then he was torn away from her and taken into the care of the cartel. So, Armando has been bred and raised on hate. His mom loves him, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s a tainted love.”
Ultimately, Armando and Mike go mano-a-mano in a fight to the…well…that goes in unexpected directions. “They really get into it,” says Scipio, in a grand understatement. “It was a huge thrill for me to share scenes with Will, who’s an icon.”
According to producer Doug Belgrad, Scipio was a perfect match for the character. “Jacob’s physicality, athleticism and acting chops helped him bring a combination of intensity, depth and empathy to his scenes. Armando is a stone-cold killer, but you want to know what’s going on in his soul.”
In Philippine cinemas January 22, Bad Boys for Life will be distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #BadBoysForLife
About Bad Boys for Life
In Columbia Pictures’ new action-thriller Bad Boys for Life, Smith and Lawrence return in two of their signature roles, Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett. In the film, just as Marcus is trying to step back and spend more time in his family, a dangerous threat will emerge to endangers Mike’s life – pulling Marcus back in… after all, Mike is family too, and he’s not going to let Mike go on that mission alone.
Bad Boys for Life also stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton, Paola Nunez, Kate Del Castillo, Nicky Jam, and Joe Pantoliano.
Moroccan-born Belgian filmmakers Adil & Bilall (Black, Gangsta, FX’s Snowfall) direct from a screenplay by Chris Bremner and Peter Craig and Joe Carnahan and a story by Peter Craig and Joe Carnahan. The producers are Jerry Bruckheimer, Will Smith, and Doug Belgrad, with Chad Oman, Barry Waldman, Mike Stenson, and James Lassiter serving as executive producers.
