F9 officially pushed the Fast and Furious franchise over $6 billion after being released in markets outside of North America over the weekend.
The latest installment in the Universal franchise brought in an estimated $127 million through May 22 and is on track to bring in more than $160 million through Sunday, according to Deadline.
Specifically, the Justin Lin-helmed film grossed $105 million in China alone, giving it the biggest blockbuster opening during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic so far. In doing so, F9 is on its way to becoming the second-largest opening for both Universal and the Fast franchise behind 2017's The Fate of the Furious. It's also the 5th highest opening day ever for any film in China.
As part of its weekend earnings in China, F9 brought in $5.5 million on IMAX screens on Friday alone, an impressive 9.4 percent of the total gross earnings so far. The film also put up an impressive $7.7 million in Korea over the weekend, and added $6.4 million across Russian, $5.5 million in Saudi Arabia, $2.2 million in Hong Kong and $2.3 million in the United Arab Emirates.
While F9 is a month away from debuting in the United States, the film is already receiving a mixed bag of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and currently sits at 33 percent on the Tomatometer with four "Rotten" and two "Fresh" reviews from critics.
F9's official synopsis reads,
Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob.
Directed by Justin Lin, F9 stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell and Charlize Theron. The film arrives in theaters June 25.
Source: Deadline