“Bad Boys” debut

By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — With the summer box office for films in a slump, expectations for “Bad Boys:& Ride or Die” were quite high. If the opening weekend is any indicator, the latest edition of the Will Smith/Martin Lawrence action/comedy franchise, will do well. It started last Friday with a $21.6 million dollar opening day from 3,885 locations across Friday and preview screenings.& The latest edition to the franchise, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah,& was anticipated to exceed& $53 million through the three-day frame in North America. That’s better than Sony’s initial projection of $30 million heading into the weekend, going way below industry estimates of $45 million to $50 million.& “Ride or Die” isn’t expected to top the $62.5 million domestic debut earned by its predecessor, 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life.” That entry more than tripled its opening through its run, finishing with an impressive $204 million at the domestic box office. With COVID pandemic lockdowns kicking in shortly thereafter, that film ended up as the highest grossing North American release of 2020. But since the fourth installment cost $100 million to produce, if it comes anywhere near matching that third film it will...