Will Smith had some eye-opening revelations about the current world and the fight between theaters and streaming services!

will smith, furiosa

Will Smith is a veteran actor who has been a part of Hollywood for several decades. With a plethora of movies to his name including Oscar winners and fan favorites, Smith has had quite the experience in the film industry.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) | Columbia Pictures
Well, the actor is promoting the release of his film Bad Boys: Ride or Die and has been a part of several interviews and promos in the past few days. Talking about the trend of streaming vs. people going to the cinema, Smith made some sage remarks about why people have stopped going to theaters!

Will Smith Reveals Why People Stopped Going To The Cinemas!

It all started in the year 2020 when streaming services rose to fame as people spent time in their homes watching Netflix or Prime Video from the comforts of their seats. After the lockdown was lifted, Hollywood had no idea that people wouldn’t prefer the feel of a cinema again.
FuriosaA still from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (image credit: Warner Brothers )
It was Tom Cruise who released his 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick and pulled millions of people out of their chairs and into theater halls. As per IMDB, the film had a global box office collection of $1.49 billion and was a reminder for people to enjoy movies in theaters.

Although the trend did change, there are still millions of people who would prefer to sit in the comfort of their homes rather than a theater. In an interview with Hot Ones (where they eat spicy chicken and answer questions), Men in Black actor Will Smith revealed that there was a reason for people’s behavior.

The definition of a hit is still pretty much the same. Essentially it’s just harder to get one. You used to be able to put some explosions in the trailer and a couple of good jokes and people were there [in theaters].

Smith further continued,

Television is so good, there are things that people aren’t just gonna leave their house for anymore. There’s definitely a higher demand for a certain type of film for people to leave their homes.

Will Smith summed it up quite perfectly as theater screens are going empty no matter how good certain films are. With veteran director George Miller and Anya Taylor-Joy releasing Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the film is currently sitting atop a collection of only $120 million!

What’s more harrowing is that the film was made with a budget of $168 million! This means that the film is struggling to reach the point of breaking even. Despite high ratings by critics and fans alike, people are not simply going to the theaters to watch movies anymore!

Will Smith Had Fun While Making Movies!

Well, it does seem that Will Smith’s career flourished when people were going to cinema halls to watch movies and dipped in the age of streaming. With a plethora of movies and projects to his name, the Men in Black actor has had quite the fun while making movies.

Aladdin (2019) starring Mena Massoud and Will Smith [Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]Aladdin (2019) starring Mena Massoud and Will Smith [Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]
In a recent interview with IndieWire, Smith talked about two of the most fun movies that he enjoyed making. Surprisingly, the second answer was quite unexpected.

I think among the most fun I’ve ever had making a movie is like ‘Bad Boys’ and ‘Aladdin’ like just the most fun.

He further continued,

I think the individual best movie, all around, that I’ve ever made is ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’. Right behind that is the first ‘Men In Black.’ The direction, cinematography, and music… If I had to put four of them in a time capsule it would be ‘The Pursuit of Happyness,’ the first ‘Men In Black,’ ‘I Am Legend,’ and probably ‘King Richard.’

With the age of failing cinema and rising streaming, Furisa: A Mad Max Saga received a rating of 7.9/10 on IMDB and a whopping 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film, however, still did not manage to break even since its release.

On the other hand, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die received a rating of 6.9/10 on IMDB and 64% on Rotten Tomatoes. Both the blockbuster films are currently screening in theaters around the world.