“Bad Boys” might be needed to get this summer off to a bad box office start.
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's 'Bad Boys: Ride or Die' has earned $5.875 million at the box office so far in Thursday previews.
Sony and Columbia's fourth 'Bad Boys' film and follow-up to 2020's surprise hit 'Bad Boys for Life' is expected to open with between $45 and $50 million this weekend. However, Sony's estimate is lower at $30 million. As the number of summer movies such as 'Furiosa: The Mad Max Saga', 'IF', and 'Fall Guy' is increasing, the conservative outlook may be overly cautious.
With summer box office lagging far behind previous year's box office receipts, theater owners are hoping to get some relief soon. And hopefully “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” will be their answer. It's also Smith's first major film since he infamously slammed Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars, and many are wondering whether the controversy will affect his box office prospects. Although the production cost alone was $100 million, it appears that box office success is possible if it is similar to the previous work.
The third film in the franchise, Bad Boys for Life, earned $6.4 million in Thursday previews in January 2020, ahead of a $62 million opening weekend. The film earned $426 million worldwide after theaters closed due to the pandemic, making it the highest-grossing film of the year.
Smith and Lawrence detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett are back with another dangerous mission. This time, they must exonerate a late police captain who was posthumously accused of collaborating with a drug cartel. The cast includes Vanessa Hudgens, Tiffany Haddish, Alexander Ludwig, DJ Khaled, and more.
This weekend also sees the release of “The Watchers,” the directorial debut of M. Night Shyamalan's daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan. The supernatural horror is expected to open with around $10 million.