'Bad Boys: Ride or Die' boosts Will Smith's comeback and the box office with $56 million opening

NEW YORK (AP) — “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” opened with an estimated $56 million in theater sales over the weekend. The fourth installment in the Will Smith-Martin Lawrence action comedy series is a much-needed summer hit for Hollywood. It's also Smith's biggest success since he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars. Expectations were all over the map for “Ride or Die” given the dismal moviegoing market thus far this summer and Smith’s less certain box-office clout. In the end, though, the Sony Pictures release came in very close to, or slightly above, its tracking forecast.