Will Smith And Martin Lawrence Kick Off Saudi Arabia’s First Hollywood Premiere

The actors showcased "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" in Riyadh.

Two Hollywood stars who headlined sitcoms back in the 1990s, Will Smith (“Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) and Martin Lawrence (“Martin”), made history when they both appeared in Saudi Arabia to host the country’s first Hollywood premiere at Roshn Front’s VOX Cinema in Riyadh on May 24.

According to Arab News, the two actors were there to promote their latest film in the “Bad Boys” series, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” which is slated to be released in the United States on June 5. It’s the fourth film in the franchise.

Smith spoke to the media outlet about the latest “Bad Boys” movie.

“Part of what we wanted to do with the franchise is to have the characters grow in an age-appropriate way,” Smith told the media outlet. “We are trusting that the audience wants to grow with us, wants to go with us, and wants to follow the natural progression of life and what these characters would be going through.”

This film, coming out four years after the third “Bad Boys” movie, “Bad Boys For Life,” and almost 30 years after the initial 1995, “Bad Boys” was directed by Bilall Fallah and Adil El-Arbi, Moroccans who grew up in Belgium.

“It’s interesting working with non-American directors; there’s such a different perspective… You know, they were (young) when the first movie came out, so there’s such a reverence for the original films. They’re bringing that energy, but they also want to put their signature on it. Energetically, it was fun to work with them, and also their openness to the spirituality of the film was also refreshing,” said Smith.

The movie franchise, which started with the first movie in 1995, has reportedly grossed more than $840 million at the box office over the past 29 years and stands to surpass a billion after this movie is released in June.