Fate Of The Furious Is Biggest Opening Weekend Of All Time*
The eighth installment in the "Fast and the Furious" is on the path to becoming the biggest worldwide debut of all time, besting both "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Jurassic World."
Universal Pictures on Sunday estimated that "The Fate of the Furious" would earn a record $532.5 million worldwide over the holiday weekend, thanks to a particularly robust showing in 63 territories, including China.
If the figures hold, it will just inch past the previous record holder, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" which launched to $529 million in December of 2015 without China which is why it needs an **********.
The film broke the record for biggest international weekend ever, with $432.3 million. The previous record holder was "Jurassic World" with $316.7 million.
"There is no market that hasn't had a strong reception," said Duncan Clark, Universal's president of international distribution. "Whatever culture, whatever language, whatever country, we seem to have found a home."
The China opening alone brought in a record $190 million followed by $17.8 million from Mexico and $17 million from the U.K. and Ireland.
An estimated $100.2 million of the global total comes from 4,310 North American theaters — a second best for the franchise and enough to easily top the domestic charts, but well below the $147.2 million opening of "Furious 7" in 2015.
"Furious 7" had a groundswell of additional interest due to the death of actor Paul Walker, who played cop turned street racer Brian O'Conner, a lead character in six of the films. He died in a car crash while the film was still in production.
