‘Bad Boys for Life’ brings in $59 million at box office; ‘Dolittle’ falls short
By LOS ANGELES – Two “Bad Boys” were too good for one “Dolittle” at the box office.
“Bad Boys for Life” starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence brought in $59 million in the U.S. and Canada to score a No. 1 debut entering the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. The action-packed buddy comedy returned for the franchise’s third installment after a 17-year hiatus with popular demand to outlast “Dolittle,” starring Robert Downey Jr., which opened at second with a mediocre $22.5 million.
Sony Pictures had predicted “Bad Boys” would make about $68 million over the four-day weekend. The film exceeded expectations, building momentum with favorable reviews, including an A Cinema Score and a 76% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“It’s a great brand with two terrific stars, a beloved franchise and it feels like summertime in January,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. He said it was a smart move by Sony Pictures to release the film during January, an unusual month for blockbusters releases but it ultimately “reaped huge benefits.”
“Dolittle” barely topped the World War I film “1917,” which claimed the top spot last week. The Sam Mendes-directed war film continues to hold strong with $22.1 million this weekend after going from 11 screens in its first weeks to more than 3,600.