‘Let’s Be Cops’ grosses $5.2 million in Wednesday release

The R-rated comedy “Let’s Be Cops” had a solid start at the box office, grossing $5.2 million in its Wednesday release.

The 20th Century Fox buddy cop film, which began its early showings at 10 p.m., follows two friends Ryan (Jake Johnson) and Justin (Damon Wayans Jr.) who pretend to be police officers.

The studio said it expects the film to have a $25 million five-day opening. However, according to people who have seen pre-release audience surveys, the film could make up to $31 million.

“This summer had no shortage of comedies,” said Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst of BoxOffice.com. “But it’s a good time for a comedy right now because you’re coming off some action movies like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.’”

As of Thursday, the Luke Greenfield-directed comedy, which cost about $17 million to make, received a score of 11% on the Rotten Tomatoes “tomatometer.” About 66% of audiences said they liked the film.

This weekend, “Let’s Be Cops” will go up against “The Giver” and “The Expendables 3,” which open on Friday, and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” which is entering its second weekend.

For more news on the entertainment industry, follow me @saba_h