After a year of pandemic-fueled financial woes, the box office got a boost this weekend with the massive opening of Universal’s F9: The Fast Saga.
The Fast & Furious sequel put the pedal to the metal for an estimated domestic debut of $70 million. That marked the highest opening weekend total since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiered in December 2019, according to Comscore. It’s also the best debut since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.
Universal’s F9 played in 4,179 locations across the U.S. and Canada for a per theater average of $16,750. The film has performed even better overseas since it began opening in May, and now has a worldwide total from all regions of $404 million through Sunday.
Related Story: Vin Diesel to Fans – ‘Come Back Together’ in Theaters for ‘F9’
The ninth installment in the franchise features returning cast members Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris. Director Justin Lin was in the driver’s seat once again, after helming the third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the franchise.
Critics gave the flick a decent 60 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. ABC News reviewer Peter Travers described it as silly, yet “insanely entertaining.” Adam Graham of the Detroit News wasn’t as kind and warned, “The franchise is now showing signs of engine trouble.”
Related Story: Salma Hayek Details Being Passed Over for Role in ‘The Matrix’
Elsewhere at the box office, Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II continued to generate massive audience interest, bringing in another $6.2 million this weekend for a second place finish. Over five weeks, the film has made $136.3 million domestically.
Last week’s leader, Lionsgate’s The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, took in another $4.87 million for a third place finish. The film’s two-week total now stands at $25.8 million.
Sony’s Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway took fourth place with $4.85 million, for a total through Sunday of $28.8 million. The animated family film features a voice cast that includes James Corden, Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, David Oyelowo, Damon Herriman, Elizabeth Debicki and Margot Robbie.
Disney’s Cruella rounds out the top five with $3.7 million. After five weeks, the film has earned a total of $71.3 million.
Check out Comscore’s box office chart below with totals for the top ten films.
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.