The Fast & Furious franchise is breaking box office records once again, with its latest entry F9 already starting out strong as it debuts in international cinemas. With eight installments in the main arm of the franchise, and nine including spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, the Fast & Furious films have grossed nearly $6 billion. The franchise hit its peak with its seventh installment, Furious 7, that saw an all-time high of $1.5 billion worldwide. Although that peak has yet to be reached again, the eighth installment, The Fate of the Furious, proceeded to gross over $1.2 billion.
Anticipation is high for the ninth installment in the franchise. As is typical for films that were set to release in 2020, F9 has bounced around the release schedule in search of a solid date. Between 2019 and 2021, the film had five total release dates before landing on its June 25 date stateside. F9 has already begun rolling out in international territories, though, and all signs point to another success for the long-running film series.
Deadline reports that F9 has already broken one franchise box office record, beating the series' opening day take in Korea. Bowing with $3.4 million, F9 had the best opening day ever in the Korean market. It is also the top grossing opening for a film during the pandemic in Korea. F9 already sold over $2 million in pre-sale tickets, setting it up for a stellar run throughout the rest of its opening weekend.
Unfortunately, it seems all but guaranteed that F9 will be unable to reach the box office heights of its predecessors. This isn't for a lack of trying, either. The movie has arguably only grown in hype in the time it has sat on the release calendar in limbo. Still, the state of moviegoing is not at pre-pandemic levels. Theaters are still unable to operate at full capacity in some places, especially in all-important markets like New York and Los Angeles. Luckily, the international box office is a little bit of a different story.
Although it varies from place to place, international territories have had a swifter return to the regular moviegoing schedule. Movies like Godzilla vs Kong have seen large international hauls thanks to this. It will still be an uphill battle for F9, especially in the United States, but it's safe to say that the return of the moviegoing experience is slowly happening. The latest Fast & Furious movie is likely to play a big part in that as one of the earliest blockbusters to hit theaters exclusively this summer ahead of what is absolutely stacked fall release calendar.
Source: Deadline
