‘Ride or Die’ a quick start to Will Smith’s comeback?

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

Frank Massey/Sony Pictures Release/Courtesy Everett Collection

Sony Bad Boys: Ride or Die It couldn’t be a more fitting title for Will Smith, for whom a lot depends on the film doing a good job.

If successful, it could spark a new launch for Smith’s film career more than two years after he slapped Oscar presenter Chris Rock on live television, tarnishing the public image he spent decades cultivating.

advance Bad Boys 4 – Where he plays the kind of likable roles that people enjoy seeing Smith in – Hollywood Reporter He learned that his agents at CAA were contacting production executives at the studio for the first time since the slap. Over the past three or four weeks, they’ve inquired about whether studios have suitable projects for Smith, even throwing in a suggestion or two, according to multiple sources. The hope is that Smith’s next film will be announced relatively quickly, or should be Bad Boys 4 a job. Another source says at least one major Hollywood studio is considering casting the actor for a high-profile project with a branded IP if the film is a success.

Box office watchers believe the slap isn’t the only, or even biggest, challenge he faces bad Boys 4, Which brings together Smith and Martin Lawrence in the kind of fun comedy that has been absent recently. “I can not imagine [the slap] Important. Who on earth chooses whether they want to see A or not Bad boys A movie based on a moment that went viral two years ago? He mocks an executive at a major theater chain.

The other loophole – and a big one – is the moribund summer box office, which has seen film after film underperform amid a shortage of tentpoles for all audiences delayed by last year’s strikes. Going to the movies begets going to the movies, as we saw last year through the Barbenheimer effect. Right now, consumers aren’t used to going to the movies at all, so there’s nothing.

As an actor, Smith lost quite a few projects in the wake of the slap. Netflix developed the feature Fast and loose Although the crime drama was already on the ropes due to director David Leitch’s exit before the controversy. But for the two years since the slap, he’s been sitting on the sidelines when it comes to new acting deals.

His most notable coming out gig as an actor is High Wattage I am legend 2, was created at Warner Bros., where he is producing alongside co-star Michael B. Jordan and Akiva Goldsman, who returns to write the script after co-writing the original 2007 hit. Jordan announced his involvement in the sequel in early March 2022, just days before its release. And while sources say the project isn’t close to the starting line — there’s no script ready and no official director — Jordan remains committed to getting the project done.

Jordan — one of Hollywood’s most respected filmmakers, donors and producers — said in the comments she posted the people On Wednesday, he said he was excited to start filming with Smith once the script was finished. The timing of these comments cannot be a coincidence, as Smith prepares to return.

“We’re still working on the script and getting it right,” Jordan said. the people. “It doesn’t have a release date or anything like that. I’m not exactly sure where we’ll be shooting this, but I’m really excited to be in front of the camera with him. Rumors have been circulating that the project has been delayed because of the script,” says a source at a rival studio.

Other than that I am legend 2Smith has nothing announced that seems to have a lot of action (Kevin Hart’s reboot of Planes, trains and cars It was announced in 2020, with little progress since then). But all it takes is one major announcement to change the momentum for him as an actor. However, unless Bad Boys 4 He hits it out of the park and enjoys strong multiples, and other studios may need more proof before rolling the dice on Smith.

“It’ll open the door for him, but it’s the next movie that will let him through the door,” says one executive.

Version tracking appears Ride or die Opening between $40 million and $50 million. Sony is being more cautious in proposing a $30 million figure, considering the dire state of the market and the fact that tracking in general has largely stalled recently. If the Smith and Lawrence film can reach $40 million to $50 million, it would be an impressive achievement for the $100 million project and the second-best debut of the tumultuous summer after it. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ($58 million), which cost significantly more ($160 million net).

In January 2020, Boys are bad for life It revitalized the dormant franchise, with a $62.5 million opening domestically on its way to a $206.3 million North American gross and $220 overseas for a whopping $426.5 worldwide – all of which underscored Smith’s enduring status as a star on a global basis.

Smith, who rose to fame as a rapper and sitcom star in the 1990s The Fresh Prince of Bel Airbecame one of the biggest movie stars in the world who did films such as independence day (1996) and Men in black (1997). For much of the 2000s, as well as in recent years, he wanted to address more serious issues, such as the slave drama engulfing Apple. ReleaseWho came out in the wake of the slap and King RichardWhich finally earned him an Oscar.

Some believe he might be better served by more commercial offerings, or at least a mix of products, especially as a whole new generation of younger audiences discovers The young prince On TikTok. This may be part of the reason why social media metrics are so high Bad boyssays one of the people with access to the data.

“When Will is having fun, we have a good time with him,” says someone who has known the actor for years. “If he does fun, irreverent roles, he might become a movie star again. It all depends on the roles he chooses. He chose serious roles because that’s what he wanted to tackle. But it’s a different world.”

-Aaron Koch and James Hibberd contributed to this story.