Box Office: ’Bad Boys for Life’ Towers Over ’Dolittle,’ ’1917’

Universal's “Dolittle” and “1917” found out what “Bad Boys” will do when they come for you at the box office. Sony's “Bad Boys for Life,” the third entry in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-led series, beat expectations and towered over the competition during the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. “Bad Boys for Life” earned $59 million over the traditional weekend and should cross $68 million through Monday. Heading into the extended holiday frame, the “Bad Boys” threequel was expected to debut to $38 million to $45 million. But solid word of mouth from both audiences and critics (It landed an “A” CinemaScore from moviegoers and a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes) boosted ticket sales and justified Sony's decision to revive a 17-year-old franchise. “Bad Boys for Life” now holds the second-biggest opening ever for a January release (behind “American Sniper” with $107 million). Reuters