Fast X, the 10th installment in the long-running (and increasingly ludicrous) action franchise, is eyeing a top place finish in its debut weekend at the domestic box office. Directed by Louis Leterrier, Fast X grossed $28 million on its first day of release, including $7.5 million from Thursday previews. This puts it on track to gross around $67 million in its opening weekend, which will be slightly under F9: The Fast Saga’s debut a couple of years ago.
The ninth installment was released at a scarier time during the pandemic and grossed nearly $30 million on opening day, and $70 million on its first weekend. This doesn’t reflect too well on Fast X, which arrives in theaters on the heels of a major marketing campaign, and has a franchise-high $340 million budget to recover. Of course, the behind-the-scenes stories that have emerged out of this series are often more dramatic than some of the soap opera twists and turns in the actual films. While the jury’s still out on whether stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson have buried the hatchet on a feud that began on the sets of The Fate of the Furious, the Fast X production experienced its own set of problems when director Justin Lin dropped out a week into filming.
Leterrier, the French filmmaker behind the Transporter movies, The Incredible Hulk, and Clash of the Titans, was quickly hired as his replacement. The movie that he has turned in hasn’t been quite as warmly received as some of the franchise’s earlier entries. Fast X currently sits at a “rotten” 54% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, and it earned a so-so B+ CinemaScore from opening day audiences, which is in line with F9’s critical reception. Collider’s own Ross Bonaime praised the film's over-the-top tone and franchise newcomer Jason Momoa’s villainous performance in his review.
Slipping to the number two spot after two weekends at number one, Disney’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 added $8.3 million on its third Friday, taking its running domestic total to $243 million. Globally, the film has grossed more than $550 million, but is still some way away from touching the first Guardians of the Galaxy’s $333 million domestic and $770 million worldwide hauls, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s $389 million domestic and $863 million global gross. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 opened relatively low for a major Marvel movie, but bounced back in its second weekend with one of the best holds in the franchise’s history.
Four Holdovers Trailed 'Fast X'
Number three went to Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which will finish this weekend — its seventh — within touching distance of the $550 million mark domestically. The animated mega-hit is expected to add $9.5 million this weekend after a $2.2 million Friday. Book Club: The Next Chapter took the fourth spot as it added $900,000 on its second Friday, for a running domestic haul of $11 million. As things stand, this might be the final chapter in the unlikely comedy drama series, starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen. The film has grossed less than $15 million worldwide so far, which pales in comparison to the first Book Club’s $100 million-plus global haul. Fifth place this weekend went to the horror hit Evil Dead Rise, which $685,000 on Friday, for a running domestic total of $62 million.
Fast X was expected to generate $280 million worldwide in its opening weekend, as it plays in 65 international territories, including China. But it is now eyeing a $320 million finish, which should come as some much-needed relief for Universal. You can watch our interview with star Michelle Rodriguez here, and stay tuned to Collider for more box office updates over the weekend.