the ever-growing list of failed legacy sequels that couldn't recapture the glory days.
Surprisingly, Bad Boys for Life turned out much better than expected. Cruising to the top of the charts over Martin Luther King weekend, the film brought in $73 million domestically for the holiday frame. Even without the MLK boost, its traditional three-day haul was the second-highest January debut of all-time. Normally, January is a dumping ground where studios put movies to die, but Bad Boys for Life was able to buck that stigma and become an audience favorite. Here, we'll explore why the film was able to exceed expectations.
First and foremost, Bad Boys for Life was projected to gross $40 million in its first three days, and it made $62.5 million.
Another factor is weak competition. Holiday holdovers like The Rise of Skywalker and Birds of Prey in early February.
So, Bad Boys for Life's surprising success was due to a combination of quality and timing, which should be fairly easy for Sony to replicate. The studio's already developing Bad Boys 4, which sees Bad Boys for Life co-writer Chris Bremner return to pen the script. He's already shown he knows how to deliver a fun Bad Boys installment and will be working in his wheelhouse. It also wouldn't be a shock if Sony looked to position Bad Boys 4 in a similar window, perhaps finding a spot for it in the middle of January. Frankly, there isn't much that comes out this time of year, so it makes more sense for Bad Boys to stay in that lane than take a chance against the bigger summer releases.
