18 Apr 2017

Fate of the Furious speeds past Star Wars

From Morning Report, 7:55 am on 18 April 2017

The Fast and Furious may be into its eighth installment, but it's just broken an opening weekend record - earning US$532 million over Easter.

The Fate of the Furious

The Fate of the Furious Photo: Universal Pictures

The movie about illegal street racing and high speed heists has raced to the top of the movie earning rankings creating a new world record and knocking Star Wars out of the lead.

Los Angeles correspondent Brad Pomerance says this is a stunning achievement. "This is the eighth installment of a 16 year old franchise. To complete this feat is nothing short of remarkable."

The Fate of the Furious poster

The Fate of the Furious poster Photo: Universal

But, he warns, there is a caveat: "When Star Wars opened, it did not open in China... And, so to compare the Fate of the Furious and Star Wars may be slightly unfair."

He says the movie's Easter holiday release date together with its appeal to a wide demographic and diverse cast all helped boost box office sales.

So, will there be more?

Pomerance says, "Universal would be foolish not to continue to ride this gravy train."

The ninth and tenth installments have already been announced. The ninth installment in 2019 and the tenth in 2021.

The official trailer for the record busting, eighth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise.