As announced on Thursday, Columbia Pictures’ action comedy “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” is scheduled to hit theaters in mainland China on June 22.

Starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, the film is the fourth installment in the nearly 30-year-old Bad Boys franchise. In it, the titular Miami cops investigate police corruption after their deceased boss is accused of working with a foreign mafia. But the tables turn and the pair must flee while continuing to try to solve the case.

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The film will be released in numerous international regions from June 5th and in North America from June 7th. The date in China, just two weeks later, is in line with the recent trend of giving Hollywood films almost simultaneous broadcasts in the Middle Kingdom and thus a minimum of marketing leeway.

Many Hollywood films have struggled in China in recent years. Last year, non-Chinese films accounted for only 15% of the country’s box office revenue. In addition, the overall Chinese cinema market has also slowed in recent weeks after a blockbuster period around the Chinese New Year in January and February.

The franchise has had little success in China. The first two installments of the film series were produced in 1995 and 2003, at a time when China’s cinema industry was still underdeveloped. The third film, “Bad Boys for Life,” was released during the COVID pandemic in August 2020 and grossed less than $4 million in China.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is directed by Adil & Bilall. The film is written by Chris Bremner and Will Beall. It is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Smith, Chad Oman and Doug Belgrad. Executive producers are Barry Waldman, Mike Stenson, James Lassiter, Jon Mone, Chris Bremner and Lawrence.

The cast also includes Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Nuñez, Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Jacob Scipio, Melanie Liburd, Tasha Smith, Rhea Seehorn, Tiffany Haddish and Joe Pantoliano.

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