Will Smith triumphed this weekend, overcoming the stigma of his famous Oscar slap.
Will’s “Bad Boys Ride or Die” scored a whopping $56 million from early shows on Wednesday through today. This is a lot more than expected. A big walk up audience on Saturday carried the weekend. Advanced ticket sales didn’t indicate that would happen.
Smith was persona non grata after his March 2022 live Oscar incident in which he slapped — really punched — Chris Rock on stage. And then cursed him out. After that Smith was banned by the Academy and lost a bunch of jobs.
But time heals all wounds, and at least for Will Smith’s fans, that wound. It helped that the movie got high marks from anyone who saw it. The fun of seeing Smith and Martin Lawrence together again after 20 years overcame whatever shade was thrown.
What does it mean? Will Smith is back, and there will be another “Bad Boys” movie. Never ever bet against producer Jerry Bruckheimer, too. He knows what he’s doing more than almost anyone else!
