Latest Will Smith “surprise theater appearance” goes much better than last one
Smith revealed himself to a crowd that had just finished watching Bad Boys: Ride Or Die
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The phrase “Will Smith makes a surprise appearance in a theater” has become a much more complicated one over the last couple of years than it might once have been, on account of that one time Will Smith made, well, a very surprising appearance in a theater. Still, there’s good surprises, and bad surprises, and Smith reportedly made a pretty good one happen for fans of his Bad Boy film franchise this weekend, revealing to an audience at a showing of his new Martin Lawrence collaboration, Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, that he’d been watching the movie with them the whole time.
The film, the fourth in the series, is—among other things—all set to be a bit of a referendum on whether the movie-going public, as a whole, is ready to re-embrace Smith after a couple of years in the Hollywood doghouse; a fairly successful one, too, in so far as the movie is set to pretty handily win the weekend, producing one of the better box office openings of a very sleepy 2024. (Variety has it making something like $53 million this weekend, which isn’t insane, but a whole lot better than Furiosa or The Fall Guy managed.) Reviews have been pretty upbeat, too, noting that, despite all, Smith and Lawrence are still damn good at making this style of Jerry Bruckheimer chaos look really fun.
Anyway, back to the theater-goers: They were apparently filing out of a late showing of the film at a Cinemark in Los Angeles, only for one member of the crowd to remark “I’m glad you all enjoyed that”—because that particular crowd member was Will Smith. (Possibly worried no one was going to notice it was him, hence needing to speak up.) The response, though, is genuinely pretty sweet: A good-natured freak-out from a whole crowd of people, followed by a lot of smiles and hugging from a ton of very happy moviegoers. It’s genuinely nice! A little stage-managed, maybe, but genuinely nice.
16 Comments
It must be tough to go from hobnobbing with the Hollywood elite to slumming it with Front Row Joe. But it’s the only way he’ll learn.
He was always back row Jack for some (me). But then I never watched the Bad Boys pics and don’t personally view that ish as elite.
Nah, Jada always chooses the back row, so she makes Will sit in the front.
Martin Lawwrence was never funny. I watched his show because there wasn’t much else and I like Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold. The best he could do was “make faces”, mugging at the camera like a ten year old. I stopped watching his show because humiliating Campbell for punch lines made me want to punch my tv.
I never liked Lawrence either, but the girl who played Shanaynay was a comic genius. She needs to be on more stuff.
Sheneneh or Chaunte?
Sheneneh, the neighbour rom across the hall. Can’t remember Chaunte.
Chaunte is a character created by Derrick Fox (who played her). Lawrence has been accused of stealing the character after attending one of Fox’s shows. You know that Lawrence played Sheneneh?
Martin IS Sheneneh? What?!!! Mind blown.
He’s been working so hard to revive his image but honestly and I know we don’t talk to death about the slap anymore but, he must’ve known this would happen. That was the equivalent of walking off the job. Dude stood up walked all the way to stage and attacked another celebrity. In what world did he not think there wouldn’t be massive consequences…?
So far he hasn’t complained and has even accepted the consequences so far. Sure, he’s on an apology tour, but at least he owned up to his actions.
That’s true I honestly like Will Smith and all
Admittedly I’ve dramatically walked off the job before so I understand the headspace he was in. It just seems so wild from a guy whose image is so pre-meditated.
The consequences apparently include a $56 million opening. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/will-smith-bad-boys-4-box-office-opening-victory-1235918123/Movies are back, bay-beee.
I like how the “only at Cinemark” caption on the video implies Will Smith watches movies with the audience at Cinemark theaters. Maybe that’s how they’ll lure audiences back to the theater.(Even without Smith in the audience, Ride or Die is a lot of fun)
Smith will be fine because America adores violence. After experiencing Childish Gambino’s Big Foot Little Foot music video, I’m seeing The Slap and the reaction to it in a whole new way.