Bad Boys: Ride or Die won the box office this weekend earning over $104 million globally. Will Smith is officially forgiven for slapping comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscar Awards.
The 4th installment of the action/comedy film franchise, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, opened domestically with an estimated $56 million in ticket sales. Internationally, the film earned $48 million in box office receipts that are still being counted.
Will lost his status as the most powerful actor in Hollywood, but he’s still a box office draw. The actor and his estranged wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, financed his projects out of their own pockets.
Will held the camera and filmed some of the action scenes himself to save money.
Being a Bad Boy isn’t as easy as it looks.
See how this gets pulled off in #BadBoys: Ride Or Die – exclusively in theaters Thursday. Get tickets: pic.twitter.com/5zj47DQ7zB
— Bad Boys: Ride Or Die (@BadBoys) June 5, 2024
Half of the movie’s budget went toward marketing and repairing Will’s damaged public image. The 55-year-old rapper-turned actor endeared himself to Gen Z on social media, appeared on podcasts, and made the rounds of talk shows and radio.
What can’t he do?
Go behind the scenes and see how the action was brought to life in @BadBoys: Ride Or Die – now playing exclusively in theaters. Get tickets to see it in Premium Large Formats: pic.twitter.com/A8A6NQ4VsJ
— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) June 9, 2024
When all is said and done, some moviegoers were willing to forgive Will. But not everyone is in a forgiving mood.
Sports analyst and host Stephen A. Smith says Will owes the Black community an apology and an explanation for slapping Chris.
Until that apology comes, Stephen says he’s not stepping foot in a theater to watch Will’s movies.
Stephen A. Smith says he still finds it hard to go to the movies to watch a Will Smith movie and explains why Will Smith still needs to sit down and talk to the Black community about why he slapped Chris Rock.
(? @stephenasmith ) pic.twitter.com/NoE01TUSAx
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) June 9, 2024
