It’s been a pretty bleak summer at the box office, as films like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga failed to bring in large audiences. But this past weekend, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence came riding in like heroes with Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the fourth film in their franchise. Not only did Ride or Die exceed its projections for $40 million, it exceeded them with a $56 million opening that was the best for an R-rated film since Oppenheimer in 2023.
Oppenheimer’s $82.4 million opening was second all-time for an R-rated movie behind Joker’s $96 million. It’s too soon to say for sure if Deadpool and Wolverine can surpass those numbers later this summer. But Ride or Die went a long way towards resuscitating the domestic box office. Despite coming in a little bit behind Bad Boys For Life’s $62.5 million opening in 2020, Ride or Die’s strong performance could pave the way for yet another sequel.
While promoting the film this past weekend, Smith created a viral moment when he attended a screening of Bad Boys: Ride or Die at Cinemark Baldwin Hills.
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