LOS ANGELES, June 10, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Will Smith marked his first major
film hit since his infamous Oscars slap as "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" debuted
atop the North American box office, in a sign audiences are ready to welcome
back the actor.

Sony's fourth installment of the action comedy series took home an estimated
$56 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported, making it a major
step in Smith's career rehabilitation after he slapped Chris Rock at the
Academy Awards in 2022.

"Bad Boys is in elite company and the series has room to run. These are
excellent numbers," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment
Research.

The success is a welcome departure from Smith's 2022 action release
"Emancipation," where his role as a runaway slave in the American Civil War
failed to resonate with audiences and flopped at the box office.

Bad Boys snatched first place from Sony's family-friendly "The Garfield
Movie," starring Chris Pratt as the lazy, lasagna-loving feline, which
dropped to second place with $10 million in ticket sales for the Friday-
through-Sunday period.

In third and taking in $8 million was Paramount's "If," which follows Cailey
Fleming as a young girl who, along with neighbor Ryan Reynolds, embarks on an
adventure to reconnect forgotten made-up playmates with their children.

Warner Bros horror film "The Watchers" opened in fourth place at $7 million,
while 20th Century's action sci-fi "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" ranked
fifth at $5.4 million.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" ($4.2 million)

"The Fall Guy" ($2.7 million)

"The Strangers: Chapter 1" ($1.8 million)

"Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle" ($820,000)

"In A Violent Nature" ($640,000)