Life has not been the same for Will Smith since ‘Slapgate’. The Men In Black actor faced a lot of backlash for slapping Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards Ceremony for a harmless joke made by the comedian on his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Even though he walked away with an Oscar not long after, he would feel the repercussions of the slap over time, beginning with his ban from attending the ceremony for 10 years. While many things have gone awry, one thing continues to remain the same – his strong showing on the Box Office.
Will Smith’s slapgate
Will Smith had to square up to many challenges in the immediate aftermath of his infamous slap. The ban placed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences might be just the tip of the iceberg. There were other significant issues for the star to deal with, including his falling approval rating.
The Aladdin star’s approval ratings took a drastic hit in the aftermath of the slap, marking his fall from grace in the eyes of fans around the world. The reverberations of the slap could be felt by Jada Smith as well, who shared the same fate as her husband and experienced a significant drop in ratings. Even celebrities were quick to side with Chris Rock. But the box office run of Bad Boys: Ride or Die shows that he has still got the touch.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die rides out the waves successfully
The fourth installment in the Bad Boys franchise brought in over $100 million worldwide over its opening weekend. These figures include a whopping $21 million made domestically on the opening Friday. The movie has failed to slow down, as it looks all set to make over $400 million. And all this with a budget on a budget of just $100 million.
‘BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE’ crossed $395M at the worldwide box office
The film had a $100M budget. pic.twitter.com/76DCT4o5GN
— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) July 28, 2024
While many fans were doubting how the Martin Lawrence-starrer would fare at a time when his ratings have arguably been the lowest, the success of Bad Boys 4 will remind his fans and detractors alike that he’s not done yet. Nothing can keep him from rocking the summer box office.
Will Smith still ‘reigns over the summer Box Office’
The magnitude of Smith’s success was not lost on his fans, who had been waiting for the chance to prove that the After Earth star was not done yet. Many took to X in large numbers to celebrate the return of the ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’.
Will Smith still reigns over the summer box office!
— Vtuber 4Life (@Vtuber94077) July 28, 2024
Will Smith has led films to #1 at the box-office in four different decades. pic.twitter.com/ab3lJj57oh
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) June 10, 2024
People will watch films they wanna watch! Will Smith was, is and will be a box office force to be reckoned with. Always. Man delivers. https://t.co/ygcjto7tR7
— JJ (@ladydragonjj) June 9, 2024
Bad Boys Ride or die is so good and Will smith is still so fine 😍
— Ndapanda (@__ndapanda) June 26, 2024
Looks like all the noise surrounding Will Smith has not had any bearing on his image amongst the fans. The strong showings would have served as a reminder to many that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the industry. Meanwhile, Bad Boys: Ride or Die continues to ride on its bandwagon of success. Fans would be hoping that he proves them all right.
