F9 is already breaking pandemic box-office records after only being released in eight countries. F9, the latest installment in The Fast and Furious franchise won't open in the United States till June 25, but the film has already begun to roll out in international markets after screening for a select group of critics in the United States. The hope for the studio is to catch an audience's need to go back to the movies after a year of little to no theatrical experiences.
F9 isn't the first film back in theaters, as major titles like Raya and the Last Dragon, Mortal Kombat, and Tom & Jerry had already opened. So far the biggest winner at the pandemic box office has been Godzilla vs. Kong, which was the highest-grossing opening weekend during the pandemic. GvK has also outgrossed its predecessor Godzilla: King of the Monsters at the worldwide box-office despite all the restrictions on theaters throughout the world. However, it looks like F9 is the new king of the box office.
According to Variety, F9 is expected to gross $160 million over the three day weekend. The film has already grossed $127 million, and China alone accounts for $105 million. Godzilla vs. Kong opened to $121 million worldwide in its opening weekend and was released in 38 countries as opposed to F9's eight markets.
F9 was one of the first films to delay its release due to the COVID-19 pandemic before theaters in the United States started to close. Many saw this because China had already closed theaters and The Fast and the Furious franchise is a big moneymaker for Universal Pictures in China. The Fate of the Furious and Furious 7 are the second and third highest-grossing foreign films in China, respectively, behind only Avengers: Endgame.
F9 was set to open in North America on May 28, 2021, before another set of delays caused Universal to postpone the release to June. While F9 is lighting up the worldwide box office, all eyes are on films like Cruella and A Quiet Place: Part II, which will open up on Memorial Day weekend, to see if U.S. audiences are ready to go back to the theater. By the time F9 opens in stateside, the domestic box office will have seen In the Heights, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway testing the water. With a strong box office performance already, Universal can hope F9 will be seen as the first big summer blockbuster to welcome audiences back and get an early start to the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Source: Variety
