If there’s one person who woke up on the right side of the bed today, it’s Will Smith.
Until recently, the first thought that came to mind when thinking of the actor was the Slap Heard Around The World–and the foul-mouthed cursing that followed.
But it seems like the actor–and his millions of fans–have finally put it behind them…
Because Smith’s latest movie, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, is a bona fide hit.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the action-comedy earned $104.6 at the global box office in its opening weekend.
Bad Boys: Ride Or Die’s Success Is Good News For Will Smith
The movie’s success means it’s Smith’s 15th No. 1 box office hit as lead actor.
Given Will Smith’s cinematic reputation–his movies have earned over $9 billion at the global box office–the latest Bad Boys flick’s success shouldn’t be surprising.
However, the odds were stacked against the actor, like…
- Smith’s last major film, 2022’s Emancipation, hardly made a dent in theaters or in streaming–which made experts seriously question if Smith would recover from the Oscars incident.
- This summer’s tentpole films are struggling, like The Fall Guy and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
- Some people still haven’t “forgiven” Smith for slapping Chris Rock
But the actor has made a concerted effort to move on, so kudos to him!
ComScore’s senior media analyst said:
“Ordinarily the gold standard is a $100 million opening but in the context of this marketplace, this is a total win both for Will Smith and for the industry writ large… I think it also shows that, despite the fact that many moviegoers decry the lack of originality, this R-rated buddy-cop formula was exactly what audiences were looking for. If you look at the top summer movies, generally speaking they’re those tried-and-true brands and genres and stars.”
It also helps that fans were sold on the movie, loving the whole cast’s performance.
While Ride or Die has a 63% critical approval on Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of audiences love it.
The numbers prove it: even at 55, Will Smith is still a major box office draw and Bad Boys is still one of the surefire movie franchises.
Dergarabedian said as much:
“They used to call Will Smith ‘Mr. Fourth of July’ — there was a time when you’d look up ‘summer movie season’ in the dictionary and his picture would be there. If you plug in Will Smith, Martin Lawrence and ‘Bad Boys,’ you’re going to have a hit — it’s just a fait accompli. The bigger question is, what’s his next movie going to do?”
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