Moviegoers sent Will Smith a clear message over the weekend: We forgive you.
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth entry in the Sony Pictures franchise, and Smith’s first wide release since he slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in 2022, reached approximately $53 million in sales. entries in the United States and Canada, according to Sony. That number one finish was a milestone in Mr. Smith’s career: he now has 15 first-place starring debuts on his resume.
“Ride or Die,” which returned Smith to one of his signature roles, cost approximately $100 million, not including marketing. It received positive reviews, with many critics noting a comedic moment that appeared to refer to Mr. Smith’s behavior at the 2022 Oscars: Mr. Smith is slapped by his co-star, Martin Lawrence, and called a “bad boy.”
Ticket buyers gave “Ride or Die” an A-minus grade in CinemaScore exit polls. The Rotten Tomatoes audience score sat at 97 percent positive on Saturday.
Preliminary surveys tracking audience interest indicated that “Ride or Die” would reach around $45 million in ticket sales in North America. Sony hoped to raise at least $30 million.
Hollywood as a whole wasn’t sure what to expect. For a variety of reasons (too few movies, movies that didn’t appeal to a wide audience, changes in consumer habits) the summer box office has been frozen.
And Mr. Smith’s ability to save the day was unclear. His most recent film, “Emancipation,” released in late 2022 in a limited number of theaters and on Apple TV+, was largely ignored. The Q Scores Company, which measures the popularity of celebrities and brands, found in January that 19 percent of respondents viewed Mr. Smith positively, up from 39 percent just before the 2022 Oscars.
The slap was only part of the problem. Smith returned to the Oscar stage minutes later to collect the best actor award, and instead of apologizing to Rock, he gave a defiant speech. He then attended the Vanity Fair party, dancing to “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” his 1998 hit, as if nothing had happened.
Smith has since apologized repeatedly.
Sony’s promotional campaign for “Ride or Die” was notable for its reliance on Mr. Smith. Instead of hiding the star, the studio did the opposite, making him appear ubiquitous (no need to worry) with a publicity tour that took him to eight cities in 12 days. Smith also participated in numerous marketing stunts, including arriving at the film’s premiere in Los Angeles on a double-decker bus while singing “Miami,” his other 1998 hit.
“Ride or Die”’s strong initial ticket sales were lower than the franchise’s previous installment, “Bad Boys for Life,” which grossed $62.5 million during its first three days of 2020, or about 76 million dollars after taking into account inflation. “Bad Boys for Life” benefited from pent-up demand and was released 17 years after “Bad Boys II.” The franchise began in 1995.
Sony also had the second movie of the weekend, “The Garfield Movie,” which grossed approximately $10.3 million, for a three-week domestic total of nearly $70 million.
“The Watchers,” a horror film from New Line, which is part of Warner Bros., came in at third place, selling a disappointing $7 million in tickets. “The Watchers” cost $30 million, not including marketing, according to Deadline, an entertainment news site. It was directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan and produced by her father, horror master M. Night Shyamalan.