Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have struck gold again with their action-packed comedy franchise, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth installment in the beloved “Bad Boys” series. Opening with an estimated $56 million in theatres over the weekend, the film has handed Hollywood a much-needed summer success, also marking a triumphant return for Smith after a controversial year.
The anticipation around “Ride or Die” was mixed, primarily due to the unpredictable summer box office and Smith’s diminished star power following the infamous slap incident at the 2022 Academy Awards, which led to his 10-year Oscar ban. Despite these concerns, the Sony Pictures release either met or slightly exceeded its tracking forecasts, solidifying a crucial win for the heavily criticized summer movie lineup.
Produced by renowned Hollywood icon Jerry Bruckheimer and skillfully directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, “Ride or Die” carried a hefty $100 million production budget. Notably, this film marks Smith’s first significant theatrical outing since Apple’s “Emancipation,” which was released with a modest theatrical run before landing on streaming platforms in late 2022.
In an interesting publicity strategy, Smith steered clear of reflective Oscar discussions, instead focusing on an energetic promotional tour traversing from Mexico to Saudi Arabia, which proudly hosted its first Hollywood premiere. The 55-year-old actor, known for being one of Hollywood’s A-listers, made triumphant appearances on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” and YouTube’s massively followed series, “Hot Ones.” His surprise visit to a prominent Los Angeles theater added to the buzz around “Ride or Die.”
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” succeeded in catching moviegoers’ attention, especially as a glimmer of hope in a season weighed down by underperforming releases. May titles such as “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Fall Guy” struggled despite favorable reviews. As Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst for Comscore, commented, “The fact that a movie overperformed is the best possible news… It seems like all we’ve been doing over the past few weeks and almost since the beginning of the year, with a couple of exceptions, is trying to figure out why seemingly well-marketed, well-reviewed movies have underperformed. This ignites the spark that the industry has been waiting for.”
However, “Ride or Die” fell short of the previous “Bad Boys” film’s performance. “Bad Boys for Life,” released in January 2020, kicked off with a robust $62.5 million and ended up being the top-grossing North American release of the year, driven by post-pandemic theater closures, bringing in $204 million domestically.
On the international front, “Ride or Die” contributed an additional $48.6 million. Audience reviews were mixed, with a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but it fared well with moviegoers, earning an “A-” CinemaScore. Significantly, Black moviegoers represented 44% of the audience, underscoring the film’s broad appeal across diverse demographics.
The plot centers on Miami detectives Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) as they unravel a conspiracy to frame their late police captain, portrayed by Joe Pantoliano. Notably, one of the film’s standout moments features Lawrence slapping Smith and calling him a “bad boy,” a playful nod to Smith’s real-life incident.
Despite this strong opening, the broader movie theater industry remains under strain. According to Comscore, ticket sales are down 26% from last year and more than 40% below pre-pandemic levels. The industry’s next significant test lies with Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” scheduled for release the following weekend. Disney has promised a comprehensive theatrical rollout, hoping to reignite interest after several Pixar films were sent directly to Disney+.
Meanwhile, “The Garfield Movie,” last weekend’s top film, dropped to second place, gathering $10 million in ticket sales, bringing its domestic total to $68.6 million. “The Watchers,” a new horror film helmed by Ishana Night Shyamalan, debuted with a tepid $7 million across 3,351 theaters amidst poor reviews.
. This allowed Ryan Reynolds’s fantasy film, “If,” to claim third place, with its cumulative domestic earnings reaching $93.5 million in its fourth weekend. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” rounded out the top five, accumulating $150 million domestically and $360 million worldwide after five weeks.
The detailed tally of estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, as reported by Comscore, is as follows:
1. “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” $56 million.
2. “The Garfield Movie,” $10 million.
3. “If,” $8 million.
4. “The Watchers,” $7 million.
5. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” $5.4 million.
6. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” $4.2 million.
7. “The Fall Guy,” $2.7 million.
8. “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” $2.4 million.
9. “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” $1.9 million.
10. “The Strangers: Chapter 1,” $1.8 million.
With a promising start from “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” Hollywood hopes this success sets a positive precedent for forthcoming releases in a year beset by challenges.
