Sony's fourth installment of the action comedy series ‘Bad Boys’ has been well received racking in millions of dollars. Picture: X/SKTheKingYT
Will Smith marked his first major film hit since his infamous Oscars slap as ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ debuted atop the North American box office, in a sign audiences are ready to welcome back the actor.
Sony's fourth installment of the action comedy series took home an estimated $56 million (around R1.050 billion), industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported, making it a major step in Smith's career rehabilitation after he slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in 2022.
"Bad Boys is in elite company and the series has room to run. These are excellent numbers," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.
The success is a welcome departure from Smith's 2022 action release ‘Emancipation’, where his role as a runaway slave in the American Civil War failed to resonate with audiences and flopped at the box office.
Globally the film debuted worldwide with $104.6 million (around R1.960 billion) worldwide and had an impressive opening weekend in North America.
Bad Boys snatched first place from Sony's family-friendly ‘The Garfield Movie’, starring Chris Pratt as the lazy, lasagna-loving feline, which dropped to second place with $10 million (around R187 million) in ticket sales for the Friday-through-Sunday period.
In third and taking in $8 million (around R150 million) was Paramount's ‘If’, which follows Cailey Fleming as a young girl who, along with neighbour Ryan Reynolds, embarks on an adventure to reconnect forgotten made-up playmates with their children.
Warner Bros horror film ‘The Watchers’ opened in fourth place at $7 million (around R131 million), while 20th Century's action sci-fi ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ ranked fifth at $5.4 million (around R101 million).
AFP