Will Smith is back and in a grand way. After the infamous Oscar slap incident back in 2022 where he also won the Best Actor Award for his stellar performance in King Richards, he gave a pause to his career. And now with Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the fourth installment in the Bad Boys franchise, he has made a comeback, giving hope to the faltering summer box office in Hollywood.
Will Smith’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die Shines At The Box Office
Life is back to a somewhat flattened box office in Hollywood. As Denis Villeneuve expressed his disappointment recently saying that sooner or later the box office will rise this summer and cinema in general will see success, not only his Dune: Part 2.
Seems like, it’s back as Will Smith’s recent outing Bad Boys: Ride or Die is emerging as hope to this mediocre box office after Dune: Part 2. Fortune smiled upon moviegoers this weekend with the release of Bad Boys: Ride or Die. The fourth installment in the action-comedy franchise, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, made a significant splash at the box office. It managed to pull in an impressive $53 million during its opening weekend.
The film enjoyed a strong start, grossing $21.6 million on Friday alone. This figure includes $5.9 million from Thursday preview screenings, exceeding early projections according to The Hollywood Reporter.
This is the follow-up to the highly successful Bad Boys for Life, which raked in a whopping $62 million opening weekend in 2020. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprised their signature roles as the two maverick detectives. This time, the detectives go rogue to clear the name of their late captain, played by Joe Pantoliano. The cast also includes notable actors such as Vanessa Hudgens, Tiffany Haddish, Alexander Ludwig, and DJ Khaled.
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The original Bad Boys film, directed by Michael Bay in his first feature film, debuted in 1995, with a sequel following in 2003. Collectively, the franchise has grossed over $800 million worldwide, cementing its place in action movie history.
| Movie Name | Opening Weekend | Lifetime Box Office |
|---|---|---|
| Bad Boys (1995) | $15.5 million | $141.4 million |
| Bad Boys II (2003) | $46.5 million | $273.3 million |
| Bad Boys for Life (2020) | $62.5 million | $426.5 million |
| Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) | ~$53 million | Still running |
Will Smith Discussed The Struggling Box Office Situation In Hollywood
As the last few films in Hollywood suffered at the box office, be it Furiosa or The Fall Guy, recently Will Smith addressed this issue and said that one important factor here is the rising good quality TV content.
During a recent interview on the Hot Ones video series from First We Feast to promote the upcoming release of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, on being asked about the present state of Hollywood and less hit films are being made, Smith said,
“The definition of a hit is still pretty much the same. Essentially, it’s just harder to get one. You used to be able to put some explosions in the trailer and a couple of good jokes and people were there. And television is so good, there are things that people just aren’t going to leave their house for. There’s definitely a higher demand for a certain type of film for people to leave their homes.”
Anyway, hopefully, the upcoming few movies including Deadpool & Wolverine and Joker sequel will bolster the box office as it used to be before the Hollywood dual strike and pandemic.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is running in theaters.
