‘Dangerous Boys: Journey or Die’ boosts Will Smith’s comeback and the field workplace with $56 million opening

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NEW YORK (AP) — “Dangerous Boys: Journey or Die,” the fourth installment within the Will Smith-Martin Lawrence motion comedy sequence, opened with an estimated $56 million in theaters over the weekend, handing Hollywood a much-needed summer time hit and Smith his greatest success since he slapped Chris Rock on the Academy Awards.

Expectations had been all around the map for “Journey or Die” given the dismal moviegoing market so far this summer time and Smith’s much less sure box-office clout. Ultimately, although, the Sony Footage launch got here in very near, or barely above, its monitoring forecast.

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“Journey or Die,” produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, is Smith’s first theatrical take a look at since his 2022 slap of Rock earned him a 10-year Oscar ban. The “Dangerous Boys” movie was in growth on the time and was momentarily placed on maintain, however in the end went ahead with a few $100 million manufacturing price range.

Smith starred within the Apple launch “Emancipation,” however that movie — launched in late 2022 — was shot earlier than the slap and acquired solely a modest theatrical launch earlier than streaming.

This time round, Smith largely averted soul-searching interviews wanting again on the Oscars and as an alternative went on a whistle-stop publicity tour of pink carpets from Mexico to Saudi Arabia, the place he attended what was billed because the nation’s first Hollywood premiere. The 55-year-old Smith, who for years was one among Hollywood’s most bankable stars, appeared on “The Tonight Present With Jimmy Fallon,” the YouTube sequence “Scorching Ones” and on Friday, made a shock look at a Los Angeles movie show.

Provided that “Dangerous Boys” trailed Might disappointments like “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Fall Man” — each of which struggled to pop with ticket consumers regardless of superb evaluations — the “Journey or Die” opening counts as a essential weekend win for the film enterprise.

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“The truth that a film overperformed is the absolute best information,” mentioned Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “It looks as if all we’ve been doing over the previous few weeks and nearly for the reason that starting of the 12 months, with a few exceptions, is strive to determine why seemingly well-marketed, well-reviewed films have underperformed. This ignites the spark that the business has been ready for.”

“Journey or Die” nonetheless didn’t fairly handle to match the opening of the earlier “Dangerous Boys” movie: 2020’s “Dangerous Boys for Life.” That film, launched in January 2020, debuted with $62.5 million. After the pandemic shut down theaters, it was the very best grossing North American launch of that 12 months, with $204 million domestically.

“Journey or Die” added $48.6 million internationally. Although evaluations had been combined (64% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences gave the movie a excessive grade with an “A-” CinemaScore. Black moviegoers accounted for 44% of ticket consumers, the most important demographic.

Within the movie, which comes 29 years after the unique, Smith and Lawrence reprise their roles as Miami detectives. The plot revolves round uncovering a scheme to border their late police captain (Joe Pantoliano). In one of many film’s most notable scenes, Lawrence slaps Smith and calls him a “unhealthy boy.”

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Film theaters will want much more than “Dangerous Boys: Journey or Die,” although, to proper the ship. Ticket gross sales are down 26% from final 12 months and greater than 40% beneath pre-pandemic totals, in line with Comscore. An enormous take a look at comes subsequent weekend with the discharge of Pixar’s “Inside Out 2.” After sending a number of Pixar releases straight to Disney+, the studio has vowed a prolonged, conventional theatrical rollout this time.

Final weekend’s prime movie “The Garfield Film,” slid to second place. Additionally from Sony, the household animated comedy collected $10 million in ticket gross sales over its third weekend, bringing its home gross to $68.6 million.

The weekend’s different new huge launch, “The Watchers,” didn’t click on with moviegoers. The horror movie, directed by Ishana Night time Shyamalan, daughter of M. Night time Shyamalan, is a few stranded 28-year-old artist in Eire. Following poor evaluations, the Warner Bros. launch grossed $7 million in 3,351 theaters.

That allowed “If,” the Ryan Reynolds imaginary pal fantasy, to seize third place in its fourth weekend of launch, bringing the Paramount Footage cumulative home whole to $93.5 million. Rounding out the highest 5 was “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which added $5.4 million in its fifth weekend of launch. It has grossed $150 million domestically and $360 million worldwide.

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