Sony’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die has delivered a strong jolt to the summer box office with a surprisingly robust domestic opening of $56 million, and a global total of $104.6 million.
More than just numbers, it symbolizes Will Smith’s steadfast return to the limelight, two years after the Oscars incident. The film reuniting Smith with Martin Lawrence marks the fourth chapter in Sony’s enduring franchise, earning an A- CinemaScore in North America and generally positive reviews overall.
The demographics tell their own story: a significant 44% of the audience was aged between 18 and 34, suggesting that Smith commands a substantial following among younger viewers. Equally notable, Black moviegoers formed the largest segment at 44%.
Riding ahead of early projections—which estimated an opening between $48 million to $50 million—Ride or Die stands as one of this summer’s biggest surprises. It’s only surpassed domestically by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which debuted at $58 million.
The film’s international reception has been equally promising, gathering $48.6 million across 60 markets—ahead by 58% compared to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Notable numbers include $19.3 million from Europe and record-breaking figures in Latin America and the Middle East for the franchise.
The $100 million project follows its predecessor Bad Boys for Life, which opened at $62 million domestically back in January 2020, eventually earning $426 million worldwide before the pandemic shutdowns. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, it returns Smith and Lawrence as Miami cops Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett on another high-stakes mission involving drug cartels.
Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, also known for their work on For Life, they bring a fresh narrative flair to this installment with a script by Chris Bremner.
This release signifies more than just commercial success; it’s Smith’s first major theater launch since the controversial Oscars incident with Chris Rock. In fact, there are suggestions that this episode is subtly referenced within the film.
The market buzz includes anticipation for Smith’s next moves, with his agents at CAA already making calls to explore prospective projects.The Hollywood Reporter learned that Smith’s agents have been calling studio production execs in recent weeks to explore possible projects.
Adding to Sony Pictures Motion Group CEO Tom Rothman’s productive weekend, they held second place at the box office with The Garfield Movie, earning another $10 million domestically and raking in $15.3 million overseas.
If, John Krasinski’s fantasy comedy led by Ryan Reynolds, maintained its momentum, securing third position domestically with earnings totaling $160.7 million globally since its release.
Ishana Night Shyamalan’s supernatural thriller The Watchers, produced by M. Night Shyamalan, debuted in fourth place grossing $7 million.
Bringing up fifth place, Disney and 20th Century’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes added another $5.4 million to its cumulative global total of $359.8 million—the highest for this summer so far.
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