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The first half of 2024 has seen mixed results at the box office, at best, with big successes like Dune Part 2 juxtaposed against a film such as The Fall Guy struggling to build any momentum despite positive reviews. While there has been some concern the next Bad Boys could fall into the latter category, the executives at Sony believe the action-comedy will be fine when it releases.
Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra spoke about the state of the box office and any concerns around Bad Boys: Ride or Die during a conference call on Wednesday, via Variety, acknowledging how slow it has been during the first half of 2024. He specifically pointed to things such as the COVID-19 pandemic, WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and the multiple, ongoing conflicts overseas such as the war in Ukraine as reasons for the slowdown in film releases and, in turn, lower returns.
“What really is happening is that people got out of the habit of going into theaters,” Vinciquerra said. “As the marketplace begins to recover in terms of having big films, you’ll see people start to go to theaters again.”
Vinciquerra continued, stating that Bad Boys would ultimately benefit from the upturn in theater attendance he believes will make up the second half of 2024.
“We’re pretty sure it is going to be just fine,” Vinciquerra added.
The optimism isn't unfounded, either, as Bad Boys has historically done well at the box office going back to the original 1995 film which grossed $141.4 million against a reported budget of $19 million. The franchise's success would continue with 2003's Bad Boys 2 grossing $273.3 million, followed by 2020's Bad Boys For Life earning $426.4 million despite a roughly 17-year gap between releases.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die's budget did not see an astronomical increase from the previous film, either, as the reported budget for the fourth film is $100 million compared to Bad Boys For Life's reported budget of $90 million.
We Ride Together
Bad Boys: Ride or Die picks up after the events of the previous film and sees Miami PD Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett investigating corruption and conspiracy within their ranks after posthumous accusations against Captain Conrad Howard, who was killed during the events of Bad Boys For Life. Lowrey and Burnett soon find themselves the target of these corrupt officers and are set up, forcing the pair to work outside the law with the help of Lowrey's son, Armando Aretas.
While it is the fourth film for stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, it is the second for directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The pair took over from Michael Bay, who directed the first two films, while famed producers Jerry Bruckheimer has been attached to all four films in the series.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is scheduled to release in theaters on June 7, 2024.
