‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ Kicks Off with Impressive $21.6 Million Opening Day"

The boys are back in action. Sony and Columbia’s latest entry in the “Bad Boys” franchise, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” has kicked off with a solid $21.6 million from 3,885 locations on its opening day, including preview screenings. The film also received a revenue boost from Imax and other premium large format screens.

Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the action-packed sequel is on track to achieve a $53 million opening weekend in North America. Initially, Sony had projected a conservative $30 million debut, likely due to recent high-profile titles like “The Fall Guy” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” underperforming at the summer box office. However, industry estimates were more optimistic, ranging from $45 million to $50 million, and it appears the film is aligning closer to those expectations.

Despite this promising start, “Ride or Die” is expected to fall short of the $62.5 million domestic opening of its predecessor, 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life.” That film, which starred Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, went on to gross $204 million domestically, making it the highest-grossing North American release of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down theaters shortly thereafter.

With a production budget of $100 million, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” should achieve success if it can approach the performance of its predecessor. This installment also marks Will Smith’s first major theatrical release since the infamous incident at the Academy Awards, where he slapped Chris Rock onstage before winning the Best Actor Oscar for “King Richard.” Despite the controversy, it appears that audiences are still eager to see Smith on the big screen. Early reactions from ticket buyers are positive, with Cinema Score giving the film an “A-” grade.

In “Ride or Die,” Smith and Lawrence reprise their roles as Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. This time, the duo goes rogue to clear the name of their late captain, played by Joe Pantoliano. The film’s cast also includes Vanessa Hudgens, Tiffany Haddish, Alexander Ludwig, and DJ Khaled. The franchise, which began with Michael Bay’s directorial debut in 1995, has now grossed over $800 million worldwide.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ new thriller “The Watchers” earned $2.9 million from Friday and preview screenings. This film continues the trend of horror movies struggling at the box office this year, and it’s unlikely to meet its $10 million opening projection. Directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan in her feature debut, “The Watchers” has received negative reviews and a lukewarm “C-” grade from Cinema Score, typical for many horror films but not promising for long-term success.

Sony’s “The Garfield Movie” holds the second spot with $2.8 million earned on Friday, a mere 27% drop from its $3.7 million gross the previous week. The animated film is set to reach $68 million in total North American earnings by Sunday.

Paramount’s family-friendly film “IF,” starring Ryan Reynolds, continues to show strong staying power in its fourth weekend. It’s projected to bring in about $8.1 million over the three-day frame, pushing its domestic total past $90 million by Saturday and positioning it to surpass the $100 million mark soon.

Rounding out the top five, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” produced by 20th Century Studios, added $1.4 million on Friday. The Disney release has now outperformed the $146 million domestic total of its 2017 predecessor, “War for the Planet of the Apes.”

Overall, the box office continues to see varied performances across genres, with some films exceeding expectations while others struggle to find their audience. “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” stands out as a strong contender, indicating that the franchise still has plenty of fuel left in the tank.