NEW YORK (Web Desk) – Universal’s “Furious 7″ is speeding toward a record-setting opening weekend of nearly $140 million at 4,004 locations in United States.
“Furious 7″ blasted off with $58 million to $60 million on Friday – including $15.8 million in 3,069 Thursday-night showings that started at 7 pm in the US.
Recent estimates had placed the Friday-Sunday number at $115 million, which were revised upward early Friday to as much as $125 million. But Friday’s afternoon numbers – based on West Coast matinees and East Coast early evening screenings – indicated that the Easter weekend would finish between $135 million and $138 million.
The film, starring Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker, will easily set a record for an April opening weekend should the estimates hold. The current April record holder, Marvel-Disney’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” opened with $95 million on the same weekend last year.
All signals now suggest that the “Furious 7″ opening will easily exceed that of “Fast and Furious 6,″ which grossed $97 million in its domestic debut weekend two years ago on its way to $238 million. It will also become the 29th movie with a $100 million-plus opening weekend in the US and the first to do so since “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1″ opened in November with $122 million.
At $138 million, “Furious 7″ would tie “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ as the 11th highest domestic opener of all time. And it will exceed what had been the top opening of 2015 – the $85 million three-day launch of Universal’s “Fifty Shades of Grey” – by over 60%.
“Furious 7″ opened internationally with $60 million in its first two days on Wednesday and Thursday and will expand to 10,500 sites. It should take as much as $250 million from foreign moviegoers by the end of the Easter weekend.
The movie – replete with its trademark spectacular automotive stunts – is set in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Russia, Abu Dhabi and the Dominican Republic. Michelle Rodriguez, Jordanna Brewster, Tyrese Gibson and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges reprise their roles.
