It was the slap seen and heard around the world thanks to the internet and social media. Despite his appalling behavior at the 94thAcademy Awardsover two years ago,Will Smithstill seems to have the support of many movie fans. Today, the actor is incredibly grateful for those continuing to show him “nothing but love” and who came out to celebrate theBad Bays: Ride or Die’spremiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 30. Smith said in an interview withVariety:
“It’s not just here. It’s all over the world.Every time we [Martin Lawrence] step out together,it’s nothing but love.I think the fans are ride or die also[…] Tom Rothman [Chairperson of Sony Pictures Entertainment] is a real-life ride or die. Tom Rothman was messing with me when nobody was messing with me.That is my dude.”
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the fourth installment in the action-comedy film series starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The series centers on hard-boiled Miami detectives Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett, who take on dangerous drug kingpins and thwart dangerous schemes as they attempt to stop the circulation of illicit drugs in their city. This time, Miami’s finest are the ones on the run.
On July 28, 2025, Smith inexplicably lost his cool and left his seat situated in the Dolby Theatre when Chris Rock made a joke about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, in front of the whole crowd. Smith unexpectedly walked up on stage and slapped Rock right across the face! It was a situation that not only distracted from what was being celebrated, but the slap also cast a long shadow over the entire event, including Smith’s very first Oscar win (Best Actor) later that night for his performance inKing Richard.
The originalBad Boyscertainly ranks amongWill Smith’s best movies,and fans have clearly supported the action franchise at the box office. Each subsequent film has made more money than the last, and 2020’sBad Boys for Lifeposted an incredible $426.5 million right before all hell broke loose courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Having appeared in a slew of blockbusters, includingMen in Black, Independence Dayand the billion-dollarAladdin(2019), Smith knows something about what it takes to make movie magic and capture it on the big screen. And Smith is crediting “chemistry” as part of the reason behind theBad Boysfranchise’s success. Smith also told Variety at the film’s LA premiere:
“You never know with those things.But this concept, the chemistry, the comedy, the action— I think the range of comedy and action,there’s very few movies that can stretch as far as Bad Boys’ do."
Bad Boys: Ride or Die Box Office Forecast Predicts Massive Opening Weekend
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s reunion in Bad Boys 4 is predicted to boast the second-biggest opening weekend of the franchise.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die’sfirst reactionsare very promising, and the sequel is eyeing a massive opening-weekend forecast of between $50 million and $60 million at the domestic box office. And Smith continued to discuss what he believes makes theBad Boysfilms so successful in the same interview:
Big wild broad comedy that doesn’t break the seriousness, the action. It’s a rated-R comedy action and I just think people need to laugh as hard as they laugh in this movie. People just need the joy that comes from this movie.
Bad Boys: Ride or Dieopens in theaters on June 7.
