Universal’s “The Fate of the Furious” smashed global box office records, earning an estimated $532.5 million worldwide to set a new high-water mark for an opening weekend.
The long-running series, now in its eighth installment, got a big boost from foreign crowds. The action thriller earned $432.3 million internationally after bowing in 63 foreign markets. That helped offset declining domestic results. “The Fate of the Furious” opened to $100.2 million in North America, a sharp drop from “Furious 7’s” $147.2 million kick-off.
“The Fate of the Furious” racked up a massive $190 million in the Asian country, setting records for the biggest three-day opening weekend in history and the top debut for a Hollywood film in China. “Furious 7” ended its run with $390 million from China — a figure that “The Fate of the Furious” could match.
“I’m extrapolating, but based on the reviews and the buzz we’re getting from theaters, I think we can eclipse that,” said Duncan Clark, president of Universal Pictures International.
“The Fate of the Furious” also performed solidly in Mexico, where it earned $17.8 million, the United Kingdom and Ireland with $17 million, Russia with $14.1 million, Germany with $13.6 million, and Brazil with $12.8 million. The film did well in premium formats, with Imax accounting for $31.1 million worth of revenue, the company’s fourth-biggest global opening.
“This is truly a global franchise,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore. “These movies translate perfectly into any culture. Fast cars, outrageous stunts — that’s the international language for something everybody loves.”
With “The Fate of the Furious,” the “Fast and the Furious” films have now earned $4.4 billion worldwide, making it easily the most successful franchise in Universal’s history and the eighth highest-grossing film series in history.
