The move is a setback for the project, which has been trying, in fits and stops, to get going after years of development. The involvement of Will Smith had forever been a question mark, but the actor finally committed and Sony, after shifting several times, had recently set a Nov. 8, 2018, release date. A start date in the fall was being eyed.

Carnahan wasn’t just the director for Bad Boys 3, but had also written the most recent draft of the script. Sources say a director search is already underway and a new writer may be hired as well. The project is a hot ticket because it is considered a go movie.

The project seeks to reteam Smith and Martin Lawrence as Miami detectives who leave a trail of mayhem in their wake as they take down bad guys. The first two installments, released in 1995 and 2003, were directed by Michael Bay.

Carnahan won’t be gathering moss, however. The director, whose recent work has been on TV shows such as The Blacklist and Katherine Heigl’s State of Affairs, is actively developing an English-language remake of Indonesian action movie The Raid and wrote the script for the recently wrapped remake of Death Wish, which was directed by Eli Roth and stars Bruce Willis.