Will Smith celebrated a significant comeback with “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” topping the North American box office. This indicates that audiences are ready to move past his Oscars incident.
The latest entry in Sony’s action comedy franchise earned $56 million. This marks a pivotal recovery for Smith following his controversial moment at the 2022 Academy Awards when he slapped Chris Rock.
“Bad Boys is in an elite company with the potential for further success. These are excellent numbers,” stated David A Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. This turnaround contrasts with Smith’s 2022 film, “Emancipation,” which underperformed at the box office.
“Bad Boys” usurped the top spot from Sony’s “The Garfield Movie,” which featured Chris Pratt and garnered $10 million, sliding to second place.
Paramount’s “If” claimed third with $8 million. This film features Cailey Fleming and Ryan Reynolds on a quest to reunite imaginary friends with their creators. Following closely, Warner Bros’ horror “The Watchers” opened in fourth with $7 million, and “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” from 20th Century took fifth, earning $5.4 million.
