Will Smith and Martin Lawrence returned over MLK weekend in Bad Boys For Life and moviegoers let them know how much they were missed with staggering box office results. Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr., returns with Dolittle and it looks like the troubled production is bound to lose a lot of money before it’s said and done.
Bad Boys For Life grossed $62.5 million over the weekend and $73.4 million once the MLK holiday was factored in. Early tracking had the film opening to $45-48 million while it was bumped up to about $50-55 million on its opening day. The best result is for any film to beat its tracking and Bad Boys For Life did that in a huge way. Sony Pictures has to be happy with the result because they tried resurrecting old IP last year with Charlie’s Angels and MIB: International and the results were certainly disastrous. The key difference here is that they brought back the ingredients that made the first two films work (Will Smith & Martin Lawrence) and put them in a film that didn’t feel dated or like a mere throwback. It gave fans what they wanted while making it relevant for 2020. The 3-day opening is the second-highest MLK opening after 2015’s American Sniper ($89.2 million) and it’s the studio’s largest R-rated opening ever, topping the $57 million opening for 22 Jump Street back in 2014. Looking forward, Bad Boys For Life should have solid word of mouth. Much like the first two films, the movie earned an “A” CinemaScore and critical reviews are on its side as well at 78% fresh. Internationally, Bad Boys For Life brought in an estimated $38.6 million from 39 markets with Germany leading the way with a $5.1 million debut.
In second we find not Dolittle, but last weekend’s winner, 1917. Original estimates had Dolittle ahead of 1917 but the estimates were way too close to call so I knew it could change once final numbers were released. 1917 grossed $21.9 million for a drop of 40.6%. Factoring in the MLK holiday, the film grossed $26.8 million and is still going to go strong thanks to the Oscar nominations the film received. Since opening in limited release on Christmas Day, the film has grossed $81.4 million and is on its way to joining the $100 million club.
In third we find Dolittle, which grossed $21.8 million and $29.5 million once MLK holiday grosses were factored in, This would be a pleasant start for any film but in the case of Dolittle, it’s simply not enough. Dolittle cost $175 million to make and it was littered with behind the scenes problems. That cost is also before any marketing spend so word has it that Dolittle could lose $50-100 million for Universal Pictures before it’s all said and done. You can tell that Universal thought that Robert Downey Jr. would be enough to make this sell because they didn’t treat the film like a disease they needed to get rid of. I’d argue that his name alone got the film to open as high as it did but he can only do so much in the long run. The film received a “B” CinemaScore which isn’t dreadful but not top-notch for a family film so word of mouth is certainly questionable at this point. Internationally, the film got its overseas start last week in four markets and expanded its global footprint this weekend to a total of 46 markets this weekend, bringing in an estimated $17.2 million for a global tally that is now just shy of $50 million.
In fourth we have Jumanji: The Next Level with a gross of $9.7 million and $12.8 million once MLK was factored in. That’s a drop of 30.7% as the film has had some of the better drops of the December releases since it opened over a month ago. The film’s final take will come in lower than that of Welcome to the Jungle but grossing north of $300 million will still be considered a win and it almost guarantees a fourth film will be made. The Next Level has grossed $273.7 million to date and internationally the film added another $17 million, bringing its overseas gross to $438 million for a global tally that now stands at $709 million.
Rounding out the top five is Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker which grossed $8.2 million and $10.5 million with the MLK holiday factored in. That’s a drop of 45.4% which is one of its lowest drops since its release last month. The Rise of Skywalker has now grossed $494.1 million at the domestic box office and internationally, the film added another $10.9 million, bringing the overseas gross to $534.6 million for a global tally topping $1.026 billion.
Check out the full top ten results below:
| Film | Total | % Change | Gross to Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onward | $10,601,952 | -72.9% | $60.3 |
| Bloodshot | $9,176,695 | NEW | $9.17 |
| I Still Believe | $9,103,614 | NEW | $9.10 |
| The Invisible Man | $5,890,805 | -61.1% | $64.3 |
| The Hunt | $5,304,455 | NEW | $5.3 |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | $2,522,584 | -67.3% | $145.7 |
| The Way Back | $2,356,115 | -71.2% | $13.3 |
| The Call of the Wild | $2,226,720 | -67.1% | $62 |
| Emma. | $1,295,215 | -73% | $9.9 |
| Bad Boys for Life | $1,102,208 | -63.5% | $204.2 |
