Fast and the Furious fans were worried how the franchise would continue without one of its original stars, Paul Walker.
But the minds behind the film series were smart enough to create a beautiful and satisfying exit for both the character and the star that portrayed him. So much so that not only did they make sure the franchise would continue after his passing, but that it would go on to greater heights.
And soar it did, because over the Easter weekened, the eighth film in the series, The Fate of the Furious, has shattered the record for the biggest worldwide debut by any film.
The film took in $532.5 million in the global box office!
And get this — they were able to knock down the record held by a movie from another far older and more prominent film franchise! Star Wars: The Force Awakens previously held the top spot by opening with $529 million!
This probably means that Fate of the Furious may be well on its way to equal or surpass its predecessor, 2015’s Furious 7, which ended up making more than $1.5 billion!
And it may also have a good chance of reaching $2 billion, the way The Force Awakens did.
However in the US domestic market, Fate of the Furious grossed less than Furious 7. It took in $100.2 million, which is less than the gargauntuan $147.2 million that its predecessor had made. Those numbers are still pretty impressive though.
The movie higlights the growing importance of the international movie audience, particularly that of China. The Asian giant is projected to surpass the United States as the world’s largest movie market by 2019.
Fate of the Furious scored $190 million within three days in China, with $65.6 million on opening day alone! This also marks the biggest movie opening and three day box office in the nation.
I guess it helps when the movie boasts a strong diverse cast, doesn’t it?