The first full weekend of June brought a modicum of hope to the summer box office, as Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reunited for the fourth installment of their popular “Bad Boys” action-comedy franchise.
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” had been planned since 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life” became the highest-grossing blockbuster that year, partially due to COVID shutting down theaters a few weeks after its release. Opening in 3,885 theaters, including IMAX and other premium screens, “Ride or Die” received mixed reviews with 64% on Rotten Tomatoes, although it was expected to be fairly review-proof with the popularity of its two stars. It ended up making $5.88 million in Thursday previews beginning at 3pm, and $21.6 million on Friday, including those previews.
Sony is estimating it to make $56 million in North America its opening weekend, which is less than the previous movie’s $62.5 million holiday opening, but more than the $46.5 million holiday opening for its 2003 predecessor, Michael Bay’s “Bad Boys II.” It’s also the best opening for an R-rated movie this year, and the best showing for an R-rated movie since last year’s “Oppenheimer.” With its $48.6 million made overseas in 60 markets, “Bad Boys” attained a $104.6 million global opening, and it received an “A-” CinemaScore, which was slightly lower than the “A” received by the three previous installments.
The lack of family films for most of the year has greatly helped Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie,” featuring the voice of Chris Pratt, which took second place with an estimated $10 million, down just 29%, to bring its domestic total to $68.6 million. “Garfield” added another $15.3 million overseas this weekend to bring its global total to $192 million.
The critics weren’t kind to Ishana Night Shyamalan’s directorial debut, the thriller “The Watchers” starring Dakota Fanning, as it came into the weekend with a mere 29% on Rotten Tomatoes. Warner Bros. released the movie into 3,351 theaters with previews on Thursday night, which brought in just one million dollars, pulled into its $2.9 million gross for Friday. Ultimately, it ended up with merely $7 million for the weekend to open in fourth place. Audiences weren’t too enamored of it either, going by its horrid “C-” CinemaScore. Warner is probably hoping her dad M. Night Shyamalan’s August release, “The Trap,” fares better for them.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” added another $5.4 million to take fifth place this weekend, as it grew closer to $150 million domestic, putting it ahead of the previous 2017 installment, “War for the Planet of the Apes.”
Meanwhile, George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, took another massive plunge in its third weekend, dropping 61% to sixth place (from second place last weekend!) with $4.3 million, to bring its domestic total to $58.7 million.
“The Fall Guy” also continued to … fall, dropping to seventh place with $2.7 million, down a respectable 36% to bring its domestic total to $85.1 million. Worldwide, it’s at $165.6 million. It seems to keep drumming up business despite already being on demand.
