What will „Bad Boys” do at the box office? The answer is that if you are a theater owner, you can sell some tickets.
Sony’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth installment in the buddy cop series starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, is targeting $30 million to $50 million from 3,850 theaters in its first weekend of release. As that caveat suggests, estimates vary greatly depending on who you ask. Sony has offered a soft $30 million figure, while competitors and independent tracking services believe the $45 million to $50 million range could be higher.
Adding to the opening-weekend ambiguity: The sequel to 1995’s „Bad Boys,” 2003’s „Bad Boys II” and 2020’s „Bad Boys for Life,” Smith’s first big film to grace the big screen since hitting Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars. . Are viewers mad at Smith, or will they forgive and forget in favor of another „Bad Boys” reunion?
„Ride or Die” hits theaters four years after previous entry „Bad Boys for Life” exceeded expectations with $62 million in its debut. It became the franchise’s highest-grossing installment with $206 million domestically and $426 million worldwide. “Bad Boys for Life” is the highest-grossing movie of 2020 as the pandemic forced the entire film industry to shut down months after its release.
Adil El Arbi and Bilal Falla returned to direct the fourth film, which cost $100 million. It follows detectives Mike and Marcus as they investigate corruption within the Miami Police Department. But after an organization turns them into fugitives, the two are forced to work outside the law to solve a case. Vanessa Hudgens, DJ Khaled, Eric Dane and Tiffany Haddish round out the cast.
This weekend, Dakota Fanning’s supernatural horror film „The Watchers” is eyeing $10 million in its debut. Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan’s daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan is directing the film for Warner Bros. It follows a 28-year-old artist stranded in a remote forest in Ireland.
It’s been a lackluster summer so far, according to ComScore, with revenue lagging 24% from last year and more than 40% from pre-pandemic levels. The release of June Pixar’s „Inside Out 2” (June 14), „A Quiet Place: Day One” (June 28) and Kevin Costner’s „Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” (June 28) could provide a much-needed jolt.
Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciguerra has blamed 2024’s box office slump on prolonged Covid-era disruptions and last year’s dual writers and actors strike.
„People have gotten out of the habit of going to theaters,” Vinciguerra said on a recent conference call. “Once we get back to the normal level of making films, I think you’re going to see that come back. We may not be able to return to pre-pandemic levels. It is very difficult to make a film that creates cultural activities in the society, but we are very hopeful in the next two years.