As expected, Fast & Furious 9 has decimated all existing pandemic-era box office records, and the even better news for the theatrical industry is that its $70 million opening weekend was above projections, with Universal predicting a debut of around $60 million.
Not only was it the first movie since March of 2020 to open on over 4000 screens, but it blew A Quiet Place Part II's previous $48.3 million record out of the water. Even with the lingering effects of COVID-19 limiting capacity across theaters nationwide, F9 has still managed to secure the largest opening weekend haul for any film since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was released in December 2019.
In addition, it's also higher than the $60 million spinoff Hobbs & Shaw managed in August 2019 when there wasn't a global health crisis to contend with, and factoring in an international tally that's risen beyond $335 million, by the end of next week the return of Dominic Toretto and his extended family will have comfortably surpassed Godzilla vs. Kong's $443 million total to become the highest-grossing Hollywood blockbuster to hit the big screen since the beginning of last year, so it's phenomenal news all round for the latest installment in the globetrotting action franchise.
Audiences have been crying out for escapism after the events of the last year and a half, something F9 delivers in spades. The increasingly preposterous series has long since existed on a plane far outwith our own reality, with the crew now dangerously close to reaching self-awareness as they barrel through a succession of ludicrously entertaining set pieces, including that trip to outer space fans have been dying to see happen for years.
Former record-holder A Quiet Place Part II remains in second place having brought in $6.2 million, taking it past $136 million domestically, as it closes in on $250 million globally. Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard has dropped down to third after topping the charts last weekend, with Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway coming in fourth, and Disney's Cruella rounding out the top five. The weekend belongs to F9, though, with the family back in a big way.