Will Smith’s around the world tour paid off last night at the box office.
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” earned around $15 million on Friday. Adding previews its total opening day comes to $21.6 million.
The buddy comedy with Martin Lawrence could take in $50 million for the weekend. That would be huge considering “Ride or Die” revives a 20 year old franchise.
It would also be a great success for Smith, who’s been persona non grata for two years after slapping Chris Rock on stage, live, at the 2022 Oscars.
There’s obviously a big “walk up” audience for this movie because advance sales don’t indicate large showings in theaters.
Reviews for “Ride or Die” are soft, at just 64% on Rotten Tomatoes. But audiences like it a lot, giving the comedy a 97%. That second number is an indicator that “Ride or Die” is looking at a hot weekend.
Will it have legs? That remains to be seen. Let’s get through this weekend first.
