FateFurious

‘The Fate of the Furious’, the eighth film in this action franchise, couldn’t quite outrace ‘Furious 7’, but then again, that installment was fueled by the death of Paul Walker shortly before the film’s release.  ‘Fate’ was never expected to outdo that movie and it didn’t, coming in at $100.1 million domestically.  But globally, it amassed $430.4M making it the second highest debut weekend ever, trailing only ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, which raked in $528.966M on its opening weekend.  This also marks Universal’s highest premier ever.

Based strictly on the U.S. numbers, this marks the best opening weekend ever for Charlize Theron and for any African American director, F. Gary Gray.  (Gray actually held the previous record, for ‘Straight Outta Compton’.)

Though critics hated this brand in the beginning, they’ve warmed up somewhat, with ‘Fate’ earning a better-than-average 64%.  Not that it matters.  Audiences gave it an “A” CinemaScore, the fourth in a row for this series.

Universal domestic distribution chief Nick Carpou stated:

“Each (Fast and Furious) title renews the audience, sustains a new audience and stays relevant to today. It feels fresh to people. We’re finding new youngsters and continuing to resonate with people who have been there for all eight films. Each title drives momentum in its own way.”

Here is the Top Five:

  1. The Fate of the Furious (Universal) – $100.1M
  2. The Boss Baby (20thCentury Fox/Dreamworks Animation) – $15.5m
  3. Beauty and the Beast (Disney) – $13.6M
  4. Smurfs: The Lost Village (Sony) – $6.5M
  5. Going in Style (Warner Brothers/Village Roadshow) – $6.35M

There was very little movement in the rest of the Top Five.  There probably won’t be much next week either, as not much is opening.  There is thriller ‘Unforgettable’ starring Rosario Dawson and Disney panda documentary ‘Born In China’.  The following weekend may see some action with the arrival of sci-fi  thriller ‘The Circle’ starring Tom Hanks and ‘Beauty and the Beast”s Emma Watson.

Check back and see how things work out.

Source: Deadline