Michael Bay ... directed the summer 2003 hit Bad Boys II, his fifth collaboration with producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Prior to that, he directed Pearl Harbor, on which he shared producer credit with Bruckheimer. The film grossed over $450 million worldwide. His first feature film, the original Bad Boys, starred Will Smith and Martin Lawrence; it wowed critics and audiences alike and grossed over $140 million worldwide, making it Columbia Pictures' top-grossing film of 1995. The following year saw the release of Bay's second film; starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage, The Rock eclipsed Bay's blockbuster debut, taking in more than $300 million worldwide. His third directing effort, Armageddon, which he produced with Bruckheimer, starred Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and Liv Tyler; it took in over $550 million around the globe.