Will Smith’s holiday drama “Collateral Beauty” came in at an abysmal $7 million this weekend, as it dared to debut against the juggernaut that is “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
Counting box office disappointments starring Smith, including the 2013 sci-fi flick “After Earth” and last year’s crime dramedy “Focus,” “Beauty” is another unattractive result in the actor’s resume that has grown worryingly heavy with more misses than hits.
Something of a modernized “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Collateral Beauty” was made for $36 million, not counting marketing costs. The New Line release was co-financed by Village Roadshow and also opened to $4.6 million in 16 international markets, including Russia and Mexico — making its global total $11.6 million, still a disappointing result.
It was directed by David Frankel (“The Devil Wears Prada,” “Marley & Me”) and also stars Keira Knightley, Edward Norton, Naomie Harris, Helen Mirren and Michael Peña.
“Collateral Beauty” revolves around a New York executive (Smith) who retreats from his life after suffering a great personal tragedy. He later seeks answers from the universe on the topics of Love, Death and Time.
It has a not-so-pretty 14 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, though an A- CinemaScore (awarded by those surveyed on opening night) could keep it from flatlining in the weeks to come.
Its estimated $7 million from 3,028 locations came in at nearly half of initial estimates of $12 million from both trackers and distributors at Warner Bros. — accentuating the severity of the box office misfire.
This is sadly becoming a familiar story for Smith, who was once a big box office name, carrying hits like 1996’s “Independence Day” and 1997’s “Men in Black” with his sheer star power.
So, what has changed?
“Will Smith is in a serious transition mode: from Blockbuster Savior to Mr. Joe Regular,” said Jeff Bock, senior analyst at Exhibitor Relations.
Of course Smith starred in the summer hit “Suicide Squad,” which amassed the biggest box office returns of any title in which he has starred. But the Warner Bros. comic book tentpole certainly didn’t depend on Smith’s star power to succeed. “It was more about the property instead of his name above the title like it used to be,” Bock told TheWrap. “I just don’t think he’s being offered top tier roles anymore these days,” he added.
Smith undoubtedly stretched his skill set in 2015’s “Concussion,” which didn’t earn nearly the level box office or critical acclaim it set out to achieve. Still, said Bock, “He doesn’t diversify much anymore; he pretty much plays very safe roles… and, unfortunately, his fan base isn’t what it once was.”
Even with misfires, Smith is far from reaching a career death sentence, as he has three films on the horizon, including two “Bad Boys” sequels. The choice to re-team with Martin Lawrence for new installments of the action comedy could be a move to restore his fading box office prowess — seeing as both 1995’s “Bad Boys” and 2003’s “Bad Boys II” were unmitigated global hits.
Smith next appears in the R-rated “Bright,” a film by his “Suicide Squad” director David Ayer in which he plays a cop. The story details have been kept largely under wraps but we do know it’s a police procedural that also includes mythical creatures.
“Being part of ‘Suicide Squad’ will keep him relevant for years to come,” said Bock. “However he needs to challenge himself and try to do something that really pushes the boundaries, instead of taking a paycheck for movies like ‘Bad Boys 3’.”
The Evolution of Will Smith: From 'The Fresh Prince' to 'Bad Boys For Life' (Photos)
Long before he became an awards season darling and box office king, Will Smith was a successful rapper. From his early days in Philadelphia, TheWrap looks back at the Fresh Prince's versatile career.
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Fresh Prince (1985)
A 17-year-old Will Smith met Jeff Townes by chance and the two ended up forming a hip-hop duo called DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.
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First Grammy (1989)
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince received their first ever Grammy Award for "Parents Just Don't Understand" in 1989.
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"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990-96)
After the IRS came after Will Smith for underpaid taxes, the rapper was nearly bankrupt. Luckily for him, NBC signed Smith and built "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" around his rap persona. The sitcom became a '90s cult classic.
NBC
"Where the Day Takes You" (1992)
Smith made his feature film acting debut in "Where the Day Takes You."
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"Bad Boys" (1995)
Smith starred in "Bad Boys" alongside Martin Lawrence. Although the Michael Bay film wasn't a critics' favorite, it did well with audiences and became a box office hit.
Columbia Pictures
"Independence Day" (1996)
Smith scored his first blockbuster playing a military pilot in the summer alien-invasion hit "Independence Day."
20th Century Fox
Jada Pinkett Smith (1997-)
In 1997, Smith married actress Jada Pinkett -- whom he met when she auditioned to play his girlfriend on "Fresh Prince." (The role went to Nia Long.) They have two kids together, Jaden (born 1998) and Willow (born 2000).
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"Men in Black" (1997)
Smith owned the July 4 weekend at the box office the following year with this sci-fi/comedy megahit, which grossed a whopping $250 million domestically. He also recorded his first solo single since his days with DJ Jazzy Jeff for the "Men in Black" soundtrack.
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"Wild Wild West" (1999)
Smith's next attempt to own the July 4 weekend box office was a serious misfire, a big-budget action comedy about 19th-century hired guns trying to protect post-Civil War America from a diabolical inventor.
Warner Bros.
"Ali" (2002)
Smith was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Muhammad Ali in Michael Mann's "Ali," but lost to Denzel Washington in "Training Day."
Columbia Pictures
"Hitch" (2005)
The hardworking actor was recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records for attending three movie premieres in a 24-hour period while promoting the rom-com "Hitch."
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"The Pursuit of Happyness" (2006)
He earned his second Oscar nomination starring as a real-life salesman and entrepreneur who struggles with homelesseness. The film also marked the screen debut of his son Jaden Smith.
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Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2007)
Smith gets a slab of concrete with his hand and foot imprint at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
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"Hancock" (2008)
This unusual take on a superhero film was a huge hit, grossing $228 million at the domestic box office, but has yet to spawn a sequel. Smith played a down-and-out superhero who's teamed with a PR exec (Jason Bateman) to improve his image after some ill-advised heroics cause millions in damages.
Columbia Pictures
"Men in Black 3" (2012)
Smith snapped a four-year sabbatical from the big-screen with the sequel to one of his biggest hits -- but audiences mostly yawned.
Sony
"After Earth" (2013)
Smith paired with his then 15-year-old son Jaden on this post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure that was snubbed by critics and audiences alike, and the failure of which marked a turning point in Smith's career.
Columbia Pictures
"Concussion" (2015)
Smith landed another Golden Globe nomination for playing real-life Dr. Bennet Omalu, who took on the NFL after discovering football-related brain trauma known as CTE.
Sony
"Suicide Squad" (2016)
In 2016's DC Comics adaptation "Suicide Squad," Smith plays Deadshot, an expert marksman turned criminal who is recruited to join a band of super-villains recruited to work for good in the DC Comics movie. Many fans and critics balked, but the film still grossed a career-best $325 million domestically.
Warner Bros.
"Collateral Beauty" (2016)
Smith plays a successful New York advertising exec who experiences a personal tragedy involving his young daughter and retreats from life, only to have his colleagues come up with a plan to bring him back. The drama was panned by critics.
Warner Bros.
"Bright" (2017)
In Netflix's first attempt at an original blockbuster, Will Smith plays an L.A. cop partnered with the first orc on the police force (Joel Edgerton). The big-budget streaming movie generated some of Smith's worst reviews since "Suicide Squad."
Netflix
"Aladdin" (2019)
In Disney's live-action remake of the animated film "Aladdin," Will Smith plays the all-powerful Genie, taking over for the late Robin Williams in the role. Initial images for the film made fans wonder whether the genie would even be blue...and there was even more skepticism when it was revealed that he was. But fans came out anyway, and the live-action remake grossed over $1 billion thanks to Smith's star power.
Disney
"Gemini Man" (2019)
Smith goes under the digital knife for Ang Lee's sci-fi and action thriller "Gemini Man," in which he fights a digitally de-aged version of himself looking like he did in his old Fresh Prince days. The technically impressive film drew a mixed response from critics, but was a financial disappointment.
Paramount Pictures
"Bad Boys For Life" (2020)
After years of speculation and Martin Lawrence even saying he didn't think it would ever happen, Smith and Lawrence teamed up once again for "Bad Boys For Life," which reunites the cop duo for one last ride, though director Michael Bay did not return to the sequel. The January release would stand as the highest-grossing film of 2020 domestically, with $204 million before the pandemic wiped most of the blockbusters off the year's slate.
Sony Pictures
"King Richard" (2021)
Smith re-entered the Oscar conversation for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the hard-charging father of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams.
Warner Bros.
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The Oscar-nominated actor reunites with Martin Lawrence in the sequel to the blockbuster action franchise opening this weekend
Long before he became an awards season darling and box office king, Will Smith was a successful rapper. From his early days in Philadelphia, TheWrap looks back at the Fresh Prince's versatile career.