Will Smith has starred in 12 films over the past 25 years that earned more than $150 million at the domestic box office:
“Independence Day” (1996) – $306 million
“Men in Black” (1997) – $250 million
“Men in Black II” (2002) – $193 million
“Shark Tale” (2004) – $161 million
“Hitch” (2005) – $180 million
“The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006) – $164 million
“I Am Legend” (2007) – $257 million
“Hancock” (2008) – $228 million
“Men in Black 3” (2012) – $179 million
“Suicide Squad” (2016) – $325 million
“Aladdin” (2019) – $356 million
“Bad Boys For Life” (2020) – $206 million
However, he’s also been in some movies that didn’t perform nearly as well, especially since 2013: “After Earth” ($61 million), “Focus” ($54 million), “Concussion” ($35 million), “Collateral Beauty” ($31 million), “Gemini Man” ($50 million) and “Spies in Disguise” ($67 million). Even “Ali”, which earned Smith his first Oscar nomination, wasn’t a gigantic hit in 2001, earning $58 million.
And now we’re in a sort of “here we go again” state. “King Richard” only opened to $5.4 million. But I think Warner Bros. knows they’ve made a “long run” play. This drama, starring Smith as Richard Williams (dad to Venus & Serena), is going to give Smith some well-deserved Best Actor attention this awards season — something he got in 2015 for “Concussion”, but that only translated to a Golden Globe nomination. The Oscars, SAG, Critics Choice and BAFTA shut that performance down, which is too bad.
“King Richard” is also the kind of feel-good film that will play well over the holidays (this long Thanksgiving weekend and maybe even into Christmastime and New Year’s), whether in theaters or at home on HBO Max. The viewership and attention rate for the film on the streaming service was strong during Weekend No. 1.
Smith is one of the only actors working today who has true mass appeal — kids, young adults, older adults and grandparents want to see his movies, and (though PG-13), “King Richard” is largely appropriate for everyone (over about age 10) to see. It shows Smith give one of his absolute best performances in an inspiring, effective and one of a kind sports story.
Smith’s career used to be known for constant No. 1, blockbuster, gigantic, big-time hits. But they say variety is the spice of life. Not everything needs to make a ton of money, and I think Smith knows that. Above all, it’s about finding projects you believe in and making them a reality.