{"id":2263070,"date":"2024-06-08T19:04:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-08T23:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/will-smith-comeback-two-years-after-infamous-oscars-slap-actors-new-film-reportedly-boosts-box-office\/"},"modified":"2024-06-08T19:08:45","modified_gmt":"2024-06-08T23:08:45","slug":"will-smith-comeback-two-years-after-infamous-oscars-slap-actors-new-film-reportedly-boosts-box-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/will-smith-comeback-two-years-after-infamous-oscars-slap-actors-new-film-reportedly-boosts-box-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Smith&#8217;s Return: Two Years Post-Oscars Incident, His Latest Movie Revives Box Office Sales"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwill-smith-comeback-two-years-after-infamous-oscars-slap-actors-new-film-reportedly-boosts-box-office%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2263070&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>M_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch&#8221;><i><span>become a member of our membership program<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>    \u2062right now.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div span>\n<p>The article \u2064discusses the recent success of actor Will Smith, who has seemingly\u200d made a comeback in the past couple\u200c of years despite a disastrous incident at the 2022 Oscars\u200d where he slapped host\u200d Chris\u200d Rock. His latest film, &#8220;Bad Boys: Ride or Die,&#8221; has \u2063reportedly boosted the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sound-of-freedom-estimated-to-hit-100-million-mark\/\" title=\"'Sound of Freedom' expected to reach 0M milestone.\">box \u200boffice<\/a>, which is a welcome relief for\u200d the struggling movie\u2064 industry.\u200d This film, along with &#8220;Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,&#8221;\u200b has shown a trend towards more low-concept, entertaining films, which is in contrast to \u200dthe\u2064 rise of\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/american-universities-produce-the-new-activist-class\/\" title=\"US universities create the next generation of activists.\">social\u200b justice activism<\/a> in society. The \u200barticle also includes \u200da plea to support\u2064 The Western Journal in their coverage of the upcoming 2024 election, which they believe is crucial for the future \u2063of America.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/news\/\">  News <\/a>  <\/p>\n<h2>Will Smith Comeback? Two Years After Infamous Oscars Slap, Actor&#8217;s New Film Reportedly Boosts Box Office<\/h2>\n<p> <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/bchai\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/bchai\/%20\"><span>Bryan Chai<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   June 8, 2024 at 2:49pm <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>Is it a comeback?<\/p>\n<p>As recently as 2013, outlets like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/scottmendelson\/2013\/06\/04\/after-earth-aside-why-will-smith-may-still-be-the-last-old-school-movie-star\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forbes<\/a> were calling actor Will Smith \u201cthe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fans-slam-nicole-kidman-as-skimpily-dressed-school-girl-on-vanity-fair-cover-the-mind-boggles\/\" title=\"Fans Slam Nicole Kidman As \u2018Skimpily Dressed School Girl\u2019 On Vanity Fair Cover: \u2018The Mind Boggles\u2019\">biggest movie star<\/a> in the world\u201d off the heels of a string of critical and\/or commercial smash hits.<\/p>\n<p>A scant nine years later at the 2022 Oscars, Smith\u2019s star was at its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/will-smiths-attack-chris-rock-backfires-comedian-explodes-popularity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">absolute nadir<\/a> following an ugly incident where he slapped host Chris Rock. A joke from Rock about actress Jada Pinkett Smith \u2014 Will\u2019s wife \u2014 prompted the \u201cMen in Black\u201d star to walk up on the stage and slap Rock across the face.<\/p>\n<p>It was, in just about every way imaginable, a disastrous move for Smith, as the actor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/will-smith-roasted-violent-slap-comedian-confirms-jadas-boyfriend-real-joke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">was lambasted<\/a> for his boorish behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Now, just two years after that ugly incident, Smith\u2019s reputation appears to be on the comeback, if early box office reports are to be believed.<\/p>\n<p>Citing early weekend estimates, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-news\/will-smith-bad-boys-ride-or-die-jolting-box-office-1235917875\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hollywood Reporter<\/a> was reporting that \u201cBad Boys: Ride or Die,\u201d the fourth movie in Sony\u2019s Will Smith-Martin Lawrence buddy cop-action franchise, brought in a domestic opening weekend total of $53 million.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a rock-solid figure by any metric comparison, but is an especially welcome figure in the midst of a particularly rough patch for movie theaters and the box office.<\/p>\n<p>A quick glance at a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/hollywood-catastrophe-theaters-see-worst-memorial-day-box-office-receipts-decades\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">historically brutal<\/a> Memorial Day weekend at the box office paints a grim picture for Hollywood.<\/p>\n<p>That <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bill-gates-had-agreement-with-wife-he-could-spend-one-weekend-each-year-with-former-girlfriend\/\" title=\"Bill Gates Had Agreement With Wife He Could Spend One Weekend Each Year With Former Girlfriend\">long weekend<\/a> saw the latest entry in the \u201cMad Max\u201d franchise, the female-led \u201cFuriosa,\u201d come out to a wildly muted response. The film was barely able to fend off the children\u2019s cartoon movie \u201cGarfield,\u201d a movie that had a considerably smaller budget than \u201cFuriosa.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"firefly-poll-container\">\n<p>Do you think Will Smith is a good actor?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>That\u2019s also to say nothing about the issues that afflicted Hollywood throughout 2023, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/year-flopbuster-2023s-10-biggest-box-office-failures\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">especially rough year<\/a> for theaters.<\/p>\n<p>That year was a particularly painful one for Disney, as it saw a number of its biggest releases flop both commercially and critically.<\/p>\n<p>Despite all of that doom and gloom, Smith\u2019s explosive action movie seems to have drawn straggling moviegoers into theaters.<\/p>\n<p>And while that\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inflation-ticked-up-to-3-3-in-july-in-feds-preferred-gauge\/\" title=\"July saw a rise to 3.3% in inflation, as per the Fed's preferred gauge.\">undoubtedly good news<\/a> for movie theaters, Smith himself also appears to be enjoying something of a public relations comeback, thanks to the warm reception of \u201cRide or Die.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A viral clip online showed Smith coming out of an early screening of his own movie, alongside everyday fans, and enjoying a raucous reception upon reveal.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Will Smith reveals to a packed theater crowd that he was watching \u2018BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE\u2019 with them the entire time. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/mOovcoxipI\">pic.twitter.com\/mOovcoxipI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DiscussingFilm\/status\/1799479316201591199?\">June 8, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019ll be fascinating to see what lessons Hollywood gleans from this much-needed box office hit, but a pattern does seem to be emerging.<\/p>\n<p>While 2024 has been unkind to Hollywood as a whole, the other notable hit of the year is \u201cGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That film, not entirely unlike \u201cBad Boys,\u201d is the type of movie you sort of turn your brain off for, as you enjoy the raw spectacle of it all.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the sort of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/iconic-disney-director-speaks-need-put-entertainment-social-messaging\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">low in plot and messaging, high in entertainment<\/a>\u201c-type content that fans have been clamoring for with the rise of social justice activism in society.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever may be in the secret sauce that Will Smith appears to have stumbled upon with \u201cBad Boys: Ride or Die,\u201d the actor had better hope to find more of it if he wants to continue this unlikely career revival after that infamous slap.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><b><i>An Important Message from Our Staff:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>In just a few months, the world is going to change forever. The 2024 election is the single most important election of our lifetime. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We here at The Western Journal are committed to covering it in a way the establishment media simply will not: We will tell the truth, and they will lie.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>But Big Tech and the elites don\u2019t want the truth out. That\u2019s why they have cut us off from 90% of advertisers. Imagine if someone cut your monthly income by 90%. That\u2019s what they\u2019ve done to people like us. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>As a staff, we are asking you to <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>join us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  to fight this once-in-a-lifetime fight. Without you not only will The Western Journal fail, but America will fail also. As Benjamin Franklin said, \u201cWe must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Will you support The Western Journal today and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>become a member<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>A Western Journal <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Membership<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  costs less than one coffee and breakfast sandwich each month, and it gets you access to ALL of our content \u2014 news, commentary, and premium articles. You\u2019ll experience a radically reduced number of ads, and most importantly you will be vitally supporting the fight for America\u2019s soul in 2024.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>This is the time. America will live or die based on what happens this year. Please <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>join us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  to get the real truth out and to fight the elites, Big Tech, and the people who want America to fail. Together, we really can save the country.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Thank you for your support!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>P.S. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Please stand with us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"author-info-44778\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/bchai\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"summary-tab-radio-44778\">Summary<\/label><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-44778\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-44778\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-44778\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Bryan Chai has written news and sports for The Western Journal for more than five years and has produced more than 1,300 stories. He specializes in the NBA and NFL as well as politics.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>  Bryan Chai has written news and sports for The Western Journal for more than five years and has produced more than 1,300 stories. He specializes in the NBA and NFL as well as politics. He graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. He is an avid fan of sports, video games, politics and debate. <\/p>\n<p>  Birthplace <\/p>\n<p>  Hawaii <\/p>\n<p>  Education <\/p>\n<p>  Class of 2010 University of Arizona. BEAR DOWN. <\/p>\n<p>  Location <\/p>\n<p>  Phoenix, Arizona <\/p>\n<p>  Languages Spoken <\/p>\n<p>  English, Korean <\/p>\n<p>  Topics of Expertise <\/p>\n<p>  Sports, Entertainment, Science\/Tech <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two years post-Oscars slap, Will Smith may be making a comeback. His latest film is reportedly reviving his box office appeal. Once dubbed &#8220;the biggest movie star in the world&#8221; by Forbes in 2013, Smith&#8217;s new project could mark a significant return to form<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2015,"featured_media":2263071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Will-Smith-slap.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2263070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Will-Smith-slap.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2015"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2263070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263070\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2263071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2263070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2263070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2263070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}