Movies April 15, 2017
'The Fate of the Furious' Claims All-Time Biggest Worldwide Launch
The eighth "Fast & Furious" installment, "The Fate of the Furious," is revving up the box office, speeding to $532.5 million worldwide in its opening weekend.
Variety reports the movie — which cost a quarter of a billion dollars to make — out-earned "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" ($529 million) to take the record for the all-time biggest worldwide launch.
In the mix is an estimated $100.2-million Easter weekend take in the U.S. alone, and another $192 million in China. The film will break opening-day records in over a dozen other markets as well, in spite of earning some $40 million less in its opening weekend at the U.S. box office than the seventh in the series.
"Straight Outta Compton" director F. Gary Gray helms the project, which stars Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, Luke Evans, Scott Eastwood — and Charlize Theron as the terrorist villain.