Between the record-breaking grosses of May and next week’s Man of Steel launch, this was supposed to be a quiet weekend at the box office. Universal’s The Purge had other plans. The low-budget horror film took first place and more than doubled its pre-release projections with an estimated $36.4 million from 2,536 locations. The box office bonanza did not extend to The Internship, however. The comedy opened in fourth with an estimated $18.1 million – half of what The Purge realized in 800 fewer theatres.

After leading the biggest Memorial Day box office of all time, Fast & Furious 6 remained on top for a second weekend with an estimated $34.5 million. The film’s 65% drop left plenty of room for a new release to take over top honors – provided that new release wasn’t Sony’s After Earth. The sci-fi adventure was aiming for a $35-$40 million debut. Instead, the combined star-power of Will and Jaden Smith was only good enough for third place behind Now You See Me… a genuine upset for a film from the supposedly ‘cursed’ genre of magic.

This week on The Collision, we are joined by freelance writer Curt Holman to talk about Fast & Furious 6.  In addition to talking about the movie, we discuss the appeal of “popcorn movies”, what defines a popcorn movie, turning your brain off, populism vs. elitism at the theater, and much more.  As always, we finish up with our recommendations.  Also, be sure to click here to read Curt’s review of Fast & Furious 6.

Click here to listen to the new episode of The Collision, click here for the previous episode (“Franchise Directors and Star Trek Into Darkness“), click here to add the podcast to your RSS, and click here to find us on iTunes. To keep up to date with The Collision, you can follow us on Twitter at @MattGoldberg, @AdamChitwood, and @DrClawMD (Dave Trumbore). Hit the jump to check out the trailers for this week’s recommendations.

So far, 2013 has been a little light on winning weekends – even the phenomenal success of Iron Man 3 represented a decline from 2012 when The Avengers reigned. But the ridiculous bounty of big-time releases this holiday weekend has delivered a win over last year’s frame and set a new record for the biggest Memorial Day box office of all time.

Today is like Christmas for box office nerds – giant franchises, an over-packed holiday schedule, all-time records on the line? In my world, it’s about as exciting as it gets. Three major new releases join an already saturated marketplace this weekend – The Hangover Part III, Fast & Furious 6 and the animated Epic. For weeks, box office watchers have wondered how the unusual decision to set two major studio sequels (targeting roughly the same audience) opposite each other would play out. Now its time to open our presents.

The Hangover III got an early start (opening Thursday with an estimated $11.7 million including Wednesday pm and midnight previews), but Fast & Furious 6 will be the undisputed Memorial Day winner. From 3,658 locations, the Universal release took in an estimated $38.2 million. That’s a new record for the 12 year-old franchise, topping the $34.4 million of 2011’s Fast Five. At this point, Fast 6 is expected to take in close to $100 million through Sunday and $119 million for the four-day holiday frame. In contrast, The Hangover III is struggling. Just two years after The Hangover Part II broke records with its $85.9 million opening weekend, its follow-up is expected to earn just $64 million over its first five days. Overall, the 2013 Memorial Day weekend is on track to become the most lucrative of all time, so check back tomorrow for more on this crazy-busy holiday box office.

Fast & Furious 6 is a machine running close to peak performance.  The Fast & Furious franchise has been stripped down and rebuilt through six iterations.  It’s gone from racing to revenge to a heist and now it’s forced to find its own identity.    After finding a good group of characters and upping the stakes in the action scenes, there’s finally a level of confidence instead of simply watching fast cars drive around.  The new movie struts into the room and proudly proclaims, “If we’re going to be goofy and loud, we’re going to be the goofiest, loudest movie we can be!”  It’s almost admirable in its own twisted way.  After four films, Justin Lin‘s direction has finally matched the ambition of his set pieces, and aside from indulging in the “family is everything” treacle, Fast & Furious 6 is easily the best film in the franchise yet.

Co-starring alongside Dwayne Johnson in Justin Lin’s upcoming Fast & Furious 6 is the tough and talented Gina Carano (Haywire).  Carano plays Agent Hobbs’ partner Riley, who both team up with Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew in order to take down an elite group of militarily-trained specialists led by Owen Shaw (Luke Evans).  Carano took the time to talk to us about her experience working on her first big action franchise movie, fight choreography, and learning from director Lin.  She also talked about how her experience in Haywire has changed her life, her future goals in her movie career and her upcoming film, In the Blood.

Also starring Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang and Gal Gadot, Fast & Furious 6 opens May 24th.  Hit the jump to read the full interview.

Universal Pictures has release nine clips from director Justin Lin’s upcoming sequel Fast & Furious 6, amounting to around nine minutes of footage from the pic.  The follow-up to 2011’s Fast Five moves the action to Europe, where Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is trying to stop a group of mercenary drivers led by an unnamed mastermind (Luke Evans) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez).  Hobbs recruits Dom (Vin Diesel) and his crew to help bring down the criminal outfit, and in exchange will provide pardons for the Rio heist.

Hit the jump to watch all of the clips, and click here to check out 46 high-resolution images.  The film also stars Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Chris Bridges, Elsa Pataky, and Gina Carano.  Fast & Furious 6 opens May 24th.

Opening later this month is director Justin Lin’s Fast & Furious 6.  The adrenaline-fueled high-octane action franchise continues in this installment that sees Dom Toretto’s crew teamed up with Agent Hobbs in order to bring down an international criminal with military training.  We’ve got over 40 hi-res images from the film to share with you after the jump!

Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Joe Taslim, Sung Kang, Gina Carano and Luke Evans, Fast & Furious 6 opens May 24th.  Hit the jump to check out the images.

Universal Pictures has released a final trailer for Fast Five director Justin Lin’s sequel Fast & Furious 6, and it’s chock-full of summer blockbuster goodness. This trailer does a great job of showing off the film’s ginormous scale, as we get some extended looks at Lin’s many action sequences.  Car chases through the streets of Europe, brutal fistfights in which The Rock pulls some legit wrestling moves, and a car chase/fight sequence involving a tank are all things we can look forward to with Fast & Furious 6.  Producer Neal Moritz recently told us that the film features two or three of “the best action sequences you will ever see” and noted that Fast 6 is the best film of the series yet.  We’ll get a chance to judge for ourselves in a few short weeks, but this trailer definitely makes the film look like one hell of a ride.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Joe Taslim, Sung Kang, Gina Carano, and Luke Evans.  Fast & Furious 6 opens on May 24th.

As we approach the release of the sixth film in the Fast and Furious franchise, it’s a bit crazy to think that the series is actually at the top of its game this far in.  The worldwide box office total of 2011’s Fast Five doubled that of the second-highest grossing entry in the series, Fast & Furious, and now director Justin Lin’s Fast & Furious 6 is poised to be one of the biggest films of a very crowded summer.

Steve recently spoke with producer Neal Moritz for an extended interview, and during their conversation he talked extensively about what fans can expect from Fast & Furious 6 as well as the progress on the very fast-moving Fast & Furious 7, which was recently announced for a summer 2014 release.  Moritz confirmed that James Wan will be directing the next installment and talked about why they chose the Saw director to step into the franchise, and he also assured us that Dwayne Johnson will indeed be returning.  Hit the jump for much, much more.

Universal Pictures has released a new featurette for director Justin Lin’s upcoming sequel Fast & Furious 6, and it features a whole lot of new footage from the film.  The follow-up to 2011’s Fast Five moves the action to Europe, where Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is trying to stop a group of mercenary drivers led by an unnamed mastermind (Luke Evans) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez).  Hobbs recruits Dom (Vin Diesel) and his crew to help bring down the criminal outfit, and in exchange will provide pardons for the Rio heist.  This featurette has basically the entire cast and Lin discussing the story of the sixth installment in the franchise, and we’re treated to a host of new footage that highlights some seriously intense action/racing/fighting sequences.

Hit the jump to watch the new featurette.  The film also stars Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Chris Bridges, Elsa Pataky, and Gina Carano.  Fast & Furious 6 opens May 24th.

Universal has released a few new posters for director Justin Lin’s upcoming sequel Fast & Furious 6.  The film moves the action of the franchise across the pond to Europe, where Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is trying to stop a group of mercenary drivers led by an unnamed mastermind (Luke Evans) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez).  Hobbs recruits Dom (Vin Diesel) and his crew to help bring down the criminal outfit, and in exchange will provide pardons for the Rio heist.  These new posters highlight the characters played by Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Sung Kang, and Gal Gadot.

Hit the jump to take a look at the new posters, and click here if you missed the posters Steve found at CinemaCon.  The film also stars Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Elsa Pataky, and Gina Carano.  Fast & Furious 6 opens May 24th.

As of today, a few new film posters have been released online.  Briefly:

• The Hangover Part III – A new poster for director Todd Phillips’s third franchise installment, featuring the tagline “It Ends,” has arrived five days before the next theatrical trailer.  The film, which is set for release on May 24th, features returning stars Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, and a newly featured John Goodman as the Wolfpack’s official antagonist.
• CBGB – A few new posters for Randy Miller’s new film based on New York’s eponymous club, reveals that the film will feature music from artists including The Police, The Talking Heads, and many more. Featuring a cast that includes Alan Rickman, Malin Akerman (Watchmen), Johnny Galecki, and Ashley Greene, the poster reads “50,000 Bands And 1 Disgusting Bathroom,” as if we needed any reminders about the criminal lack of hygiene at clubs. CBGB’s 2013 release date is still TBA.
• Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters – A new poster for Thor Freudenthal’s (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) first film in the franchise reveals an ominous dark sea with a giant whirlpool resembling Charybdis from The Odyssey.  Set for release on August 16th, the film boasts a large cast that includes Logan Lerman, Nathan Fillion, Alexandra Daddario, and Stanley Tucci.
• Fast & Furious 6 – The latest poster for Justin Lin’s sequel showcases the film’s cast, which includes Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Paul Walker, and Michelle Rodriguez.  The film opens on May 24th.

Hit the jump for a look at the posters and synopses.

Earlier this week, Fast & Furious 6 director Justin Lin confirmed that he would not be returning to helm a seventh installment of the high-octane franchise.  Though the sixth entry has yet to hit theaters, star Vin Diesel has suggested that production on the next film could start shooting as early as this summer, meaning that Universal needs to find a new director ASAP.  While there are likely plenty of takers for the job, three individuals have emerged at the top contenders: Jeff Wadlow (Kick-Ass 2), Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer), and Harald Zwart (The Karate Kid).  Hit the jump for more on each of the directors, as well as my pick for gig.