After an unusually short theatrical window (for a movie of its size), Universal’s Fast X has passed perhaps its final major milestone at the international box office. The movie has been playing in theaters worldwide for just around three weeks, and as it enters its fourth weekend of release, Universal can now brag (or heave a sigh of relief) that it has accumulated half a billion dollars from overseas territories alone. Combined with an objectively underwhelming $132 million stateside haul, Fast X’s running global total stands at $634 million.
The tenth installment in the long-running action franchise probably doesn’t have much more left in the tank, as it debuted on digital this week — a surprisingly quick turnaround even by post-pandemic standards. This means that Fast X is falling considerably short of the franchise’s most successful entries, and even its direct predecessor — F9: The Fast Saga — which was released at a scarier time during the pandemic. That movie tapped out with $173 million domestically and $719 million worldwide in 2021.
But unlike F9 — or any previous entry in the franchise, for that matter — Fast X cost a whopping $340 million to produce, making it one of the most expensive films of all time. The budget was probably already high, considering the gridlock of movie stars on the roster, but it likely ballooned to this astronomical figure after original director Justin Lin dropped out some days into production, causing a brief delay before replacement filmmaker Louis Leterrier lept into the driver's seat. The previous high benchmark for the franchise, budget-wise, was the $250 million that The Fate of the Furious cost in 2017.
That film is still the second-biggest installment of the franchise, in terms of global revenues ($1.2 billion). Furious 7 remains the series’ biggest movie, with a $1.5 billion worldwide gross. It is also the only movie in the franchise to gross more than $1 billion from overseas territories alone. Fast X’s $501 million overseas haul puts it ahead of Fast Five ($419 million from international markets), but it still trails each movie that came after it, including Fast and Furious 6 ($550 million), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw ($586 million) and also F9 ($546 million). While it is possible that Fast X ultimately overtakes these movies in terms of overseas grosses, its low domestic haul could prove to be a speed bump in its race to surpass its global hauls.
The Franchise Is on Its Last Lap
The Fast & Furious franchise has been on a downward spiral domestically, as can be observed by the declining grosses and lack of interest even on opening weekends. Fast X actually grossed less in its first three days domestically than F9. And once you consider the $500 million-plus global haul that Furious 7 debuted with, it’s clear that the franchise’s glory days are in the rearview mirror. But Universal still has two movies left to release before the Fast family rides into the sunset — a direct follow-up to Fast X, and a recently announced side-quel starring Dwayne Johnson. You can still watch the movie in theaters, or catch it at home. You can also watch our interview with cast member Michelle Rodriguez here, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.