‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ Sets Mainland China Theatrical Release

An Apple Original Films title is heading to the big screen for the sixth time with the June 27, 2025 release of Joseph Kosinski‘s Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt. Warner Bros. has won the rights to handle both domestic and overseas. This follows Paramount releasing Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon ($157M WW), Universal with Argylle ($96.2M WW), and Sony with Napoleon ($221.3M WW), Fly Me to the Moon (July 12), and Wolfs (Sept. 20).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Japanese animation film “Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle” took a clear lead at the mainland China weekend box office – despite only being available for two of three days. Data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway showed the film scoring $9.8 million (RMB69.4 million) in China, more than double that of second placed film “Be My Friend.” The win came despite “Haikyu!!” only being released on Saturday and measuring up against other tiles available throughout the whole of the Friday-Sunday period. “Haikyu!!” is the third Japanese film so far this year to lead the mainland Chinese box office, following “The Boy and the Heron” and “Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Earth Symphony.” It was produced by Production IG, Toho Animation and Sony Music Entertainment Japan and released by Crunchyroll in multiple territories.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Deadpool & Wolverine” will enjoy a release in mainland Chinese cinemas on July 26, simultaneous with its North American outing. And, despite hailing from what is arguably Marvel’s most adult franchise, the film will incur only “minimal cuts” for its China release. All foreign films entering China require permission to be imported, to clear censorship and must be allocated a release date by local authorities.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Parallax China, one of China’s leading independent film sales companies, has picked up rights to a pair of titles that debut this week at the Shanghai International Film Festival. It is handling world sales on “Qian Tang River,” directed by Wan Bo, and “Another Day of Hope,” by Liu Taifeng. Both are directorial debuts and both appear in the non-competitive Refreshing Chinese Cinema section.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief All Rights Entertainment, the Paris, Hong Kong and Los Angeles-based international film agency has picked up international sales duties on animated children and family feature “Out of the Nest.” The film had its world premiere this week at the Annecy International Animation Festival. In the Kingdom of Castilia, days from the coronation of the new Emperor and Empress, their seven royal fledglings are taken and it’s up to one hero to return them safely; a teenage delivery boy, Arthur the Goat. His dreams of becoming a world-class barber are put on hold when he becomes the unwitting guardian of the royal heirs.

Crunchyroll Senior Vice President of Global Commerce Mitchel Berger was in ebullient mood as he gave a talk on the growing global reach of anime at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival this week.

Before Marvel movies would fill slots on a schedule, Jerry Bruckheimer productions did, and still do.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Reminiscent of the outsized Chinese box office success once enjoyed by a certain genre of Hollywood movie – think “Expendables 3,” Pacific Rim” and “Transformers: Age of Extinction” – some Japanese anime films are now earning more in China than they are in their native Japan. Last year, “Suzume” (pictured above) earned $117 million in China, coming in ahead of the film’s $104 million total in Japan.

Will Smith’s latest movie Bad Boys: Ride Or Die has been a box office success in its opening weekend.The fourth instalment in the buddy cop action franchise Bad Boys, and sequel to 2020’s Bad Boys For Life, arrived in US theatres on June 6.Reuniting Smith and Martin Lawrence, and marking Smith’s second return to the silver screen following the infamous Oscars slap incident in 2022, the film was positively received.Alongside generally favourable reviews, the film amassed $56million at the domestic box office, and $104.6million globally. However, in a two-star review, NME criticised the film’s subplots, writing: “As the film’s title hints, Marcus also has a bizarre thing where he believes he can’t die … Needless to say, this irritating idea resurfaces time and again, to diminishing returns.”Compared with other major releases this summer, the film, which also stars Eric Dane and Vanessa Hudgens, was a close second to Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes in its domestic launch, which garnered an impressive $58million.Ride Or Die, which had a budget of $100million also had a successful opening weekend globally, collecting $19.3million in Europe, and reportedly setting franchise records in the Middle East and Latin America, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The first film in the Bad Boys franchise was released in 1995, and featured Lawrence and Smith as Miami narcotics detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” enjoyed one day at the top of the mainland China box office before being deposed by a crop of local new releases that opened in time for the Dragon Boat holiday. “Civil War” performed even more slowly. China’s Friday to Sunday weekend box office saw “Be My Friend” score $8.1 million (RMB57.7 million), albeit earned over just two days.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” a hit in multiple other markets worldwide, crashed on its first lap at the South Korean box office. It failed to make even $1 million in on its opening weekend. Instead, “Wonderland,” a sci-fi fantasy about Artificial Intelligence, took the top spot over the weekend.

Refresh for latest…: Sony’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die pummeled pre-weekend opening projections, coming in with a $104.6M global bow, including $48.6M from the international box office. While the overseas debut is slightly off 2020’s Bad Boys for Life which did $50.3M in like-for-like offshore markets at today’s exchange rates, that film had strong legs. Either way, Ride or Die‘s start gave some much needed oomph to summer turnstiles. Its launch is 58% bigger than Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Jordan Moreau It might take some “Bad Boys” to save this summer’s bad box office start. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence‘s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” has made $5.875 million in Thursday previews at the box office so far. Sony and Columbia’s fourth “Bad Boys” movie, and the follow-up to 2020’s surprise hit “Bad Boys for Life,” is expected to open between $45 million and $50 million this weekend.

Martin Lawrence is shutting down speculation that there is cause for concern about his health. The actor debunked rumors following his appearance at the “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” LA premiere.Last week, a clip went viral showing Lawrence and co-star Will Smith on top of a bus and greeting fans.

It may all be ridiculous if you think about it too much, but this action-comedy franchise still has gas in the tank even 30 years after the fortuitous teaming of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence first hit the beat as notorious Miami cops aka the “Bad Boys.”

Rebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter Whatcha gonna do when “Bad Boys” comes for the box office? If you’re a theater owner, the answer is hopefully sell some tickets. Sony’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth installment in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-led buddy cop series, is targeting $30 million to $50 million from 3,850 theaters in its first weekend of release. As that cavernous range suggests, estimates vary greatly depending on whom you ask.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Two foreign-made animation movies opened on top of the mainland China box office over the latest weekend. Japanese film, “Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Earth Symphony” landed in first place, ahead of “The Garfield Movie,” though the match-up was not like-for-like. According to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway, “Doraemon” earned $12.6 million (RMB89.5 million) over the three days from its Friday release.

Eric Dane enjoyed a night out with his two daughters this week!

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Will Smith and Martin Lawrence arrived at the Los Angeles premiere of “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” on Thursday night atop a double decker bus, where they were greeted by cheering fans lining Hollywood Boulevard. “It’s not just here,” Smith told Variety about the fans who continued to support him, even when his reputation faltered in the wake of the Oscars slap. “It’s all over the world.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence attended the LA premiere of “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on May 30, 2024.