Ahead of its debut, the recently released Bad Boys: Ride or Die was predicted to become a solid summer hit, but it’s been that and more thus far. The 2024 movie schedule entry has performed well at the box office and, after a strong opening weekend, it’s even catapulted the franchise as a whole to a global $1 billion haul. Will Smith, who marked the milestone by sending a sweet message to the fans, has seemingly been living his best life as of late. He’s really been taking in the love that’s been shown for the film, and he now has another reason to celebrate. That’s because following the sequel’s success, he’s landed yet another acting gig.
What’s The Movie That Will Smith Has Lined Up?
It would seem that Sony still wants to be in the “Big Willie” business, as the studio behind the Bad Boys franchise is also producing the Oscar winner’s newly earned project. Will Smith is teaming up with the studio again for Resistor, a science-fiction film based on Daniel Suarez’ 2014 novel, Influx. As of this writing, a director is not attached to the film though, as noted by Deadline, discussion on finding a filmmaker will get going soon. Also, a script has been penned, with Zak Olkewicz (Bullet Train) and Eric Warren Singer (Top Gun: Maverick) both having taken separate passes at it.
Exact plot details are not available at this time, meaning that we can only look to the source material for an idea on what the story will entail. Influx centers around a physicist by the name of Jon Grady, who finds himself in conflict with a covert organization known as The Bureau of Technology Control. Following Grady and his team’s conception of a device that reflects gravity, the bureau seeks to recruit the scientist. Yet he refuses and is thrown in prison as a result. While there, Grady must join forces with fellow inmates to take on a dark and dangerous enemy.
This honestly fits perfectly into Will Smith’s wheelhouse, as the star is no stranger to science fiction tales. He’s starred in the Men in Black films (which we’ve ranked), Independence Day, I, Robot, I Am Legend and Gemini Man. It’ll certainly be great to see him return to the genre after being away from it for a few years. As noted by Deadline though, this likely won’t be Smith’s next film, as he has other work on his plate. One such project is Smith’s upcoming thriller, Sugar Bandits, which is penned by The Town scribe Chuck Hogan. Regardless of when Resistor releases, it’s understandable just why Sony would want to join forces with Smith again. And a lot of that has to do with the expectations and eventual performance of the latest addition to the series of Bad Boys movies.
How Has Ride Or Die Been Performing At The Box Office?
Bad Boys: Ride or Die’s opening weekend at the box office weeks ago was strong. Over those first three days, the Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah-directed action/comedy earned $56 million domestically and $46.6 million internationally. Those two figures combined to make an impressive $104.6 million global haul. And, as of this writing, the film has amassed over $215 million worldwide. That’s quite impressive, and it could bode well for the future of the franchise.
Speaking of that topic, the studio has yet to confirm whether another entry in the buddy comedy series will be produced at some point. Will Smith did, however, share thoughts on possibly doing a fifth film with Martin Lawrence. Though the actor didn’t shoot down the notion of such a project, he did stress that there would need to be a good “reason” for him and Lawrence to revisit the characters Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. Given the financial receipts though, it definitely feels like the door isn’t completely closed.
Yet the Emancipation star’s busy schedule could table any potential follow-up, should one even be greenlit at all. Resistor should mark yet another intriguing notch in the star’s professional belt, and I hope it ultimately proves to be entertaining. Based on the performance of his latest movie, it would seem that the actor is still profitable at the cinema, and it seems he’s far from finished adding to his resume.
You can see Bad Boys: Ride or Die in theaters now, and you can also stream the first three installments using a Hulu subscription.
