Turns out, Bad Boys are good for ticket sales.
Sony’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth entry in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-led buddy cop series, started strong with $56 million from 3,885 theaters in its domestic debut. The film also opened at the international box office with $48.6 million, bringing its worldwide tally to $104.6 million.
The sequel to 1995’s “Bad Boys,” 2003’s “Bad Boys II” and 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life” is notable as Smith’s first major film to grace the big screen since he assaulted Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars. So what should Hollywood take away from “Bad Boys” in its fourth go-around? Well, audiences haven’t soured on Smith — though it helps that he returned to theaters in a time-tested and generally well-received franchise.
Although it’s not cementing any franchise records (“Bad Boys for Life” remains the biggest opening of the quartet with $62 million), “Bad Boys 4” is providing a little needed encouragement to movie theater owners. Yet despite the film’s solid start, the year-to-date deficit has worsened over the weekend as ticket sales now lag 26% behind 2023, according to Comscore. It’s been a concerningly slow May and June with underperforming blockbusters like Universal’s action comedy “The Fall Guy” and the Warner Bros. sci-fi prequel “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” So, Hollywood and exhibitors are hoping that “Bad Boys” will continue to have momentum and heat up moviegoing in the remainder of June — with releases like Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” (June 14) and “A Quiet Place: Day One” (June 28) — through August.
“With some exciting titles on the docket, the next few weeks will be key in turning the summer business in a positive direction,” says senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
Moviegoers were more receptive than critics to “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” which landed an “A-” CinemaScore but so-so 64% on Rotten Tomatoes. Imax screens accounted for $5.2 million (9.3%) of domestic ticket sales and $8.2 million of global returns. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returned to direct the fourth film, following detectives Mike and Marcus as they investigate corruption within the Miami Police Department. But after a setup turns them into fugitives, the duo is forced to work outside the law to solve a case. “Ride or Die” cost $100 million, so it’s well-primed in its theatrical run. However, it may not topple “Bad Boys for Life” as the franchise’s highest-grossing installment with $206 million domestically and $426 million globally.
“Very few action comedies get to four episodes — the jokes start to run thin and the stories get repetitive — but when they do, they hold up well,” says David A. Gross of movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “‘Bad Boys’ is in elite company, and the series has room to run.”
Sony had a celebratory weekend with the No. 1 and 2 spots at the box office as “The Garfield Movie” claimed second place with $10 million. After three weekends of release, the animated “Garfield” has grossed $68.6 million in North America and $192 million globally. It’s a solid showing for the $60 million-budgeted family film.