Will Smith sneaks into “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” screening, surprises fans

The fourth installment in the franchise opened at No. 1 this weekend with $104.6M worldwide.

Will Smith caused quite the commotion when he snuck into a screening of his latest film, Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

The Oscar-winner, who's been notably absent from the box office since his controversy at the 2022 Academy Awards, surprised fans, who gathered around him, snapping pics and taking videos.

Related: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence tease future movies after Bad Boys: Ride or Die ending

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Smith posted his visit to the theater on Instagram, noting that this is a "ritual" he does for all of his movies.

“We’re in Baldwin Hills. We’re about to go in the theater,” Smith says in a video. “It’s a ritual I have, when I have a movie come out. On Friday, Saturday, usually a matinee on Sunday, I like going to the theaters.”

Smith, wearing a mask, sits unassumingly in the theater, enjoying the film with the audience, Then as everyone is exiting, he makes his appearance, saying, "Hey, I'm glad y'all enjoyed that. That was a good movie." Cue the excitement.

Related: Michael Bay says Bad Boys 'literally changed the game on Black actors'

As soon as people realize the star of the movie is in the building, they start crowding around Smith, who shakes hands and takes selfies with fans. "I was in there the whole time with y'all!" Smith tells the joyous audience.

The Bad Boys franchise kicked off nearly 30 years ago with the 1995 film directed by Michael Bay, which helped make Smith a bona fide movie star. So it's fateful that the fourquel would help re-establish his stardom after it took a hit, pun intended, when he slapped Chris Rock at the 94th Oscars.

Exceeding expectations, Ride or Die grossed $56 million domestically and another $48.6 million internationally, for a global debut of $104.6 million and giving the summer box office a much-needed jolt. That brings the franchise to just short of $1 billion.

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