Will Smith marked his first major film hit since his infamous Oscars slap as ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ debuted atop the North American box office, in a sign audiences are ready to welcome back the actor. Watch ARY News live on live.arynews.
tv Sony’s fourth instalment of the action comedy series took home an estimated $56 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported, making it a major step in Smith’s career rehabilitation after he slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in 2022. “ Bad Boys is in elite company and the series has room to run. These are excellent numbers,” said analyst David A Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.
The success is a welcome departure from Smith’s 2022 action release ‘Emancipation’ , where his role as a runaway slave in the American Civil War failed to resonate with audiences and flopped at the box office. ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ snatched first place from Sony’s family-friendly ‘The Garfield Movie’, starring Chris Pratt as the lazy, lasagna-loving feline, which dropped to second place with $10 million in ticket sales for the Friday-through-Sunday period. A post shared by Boxoffice PRO (@boxofficemagazine) In third and taking in $8 million was Paramount’s ‘If’ , which follows Cailey Fleming as a young girl who, along with neighbour Ryan Reynolds, embarks on an adventure to reconnect forgotten made-up playmates with their children.
Warner Bros horror film ‘The Watchers’ opened in fourth place at $7 m.
