FAST & FURIOUS 9 Races to the Top with $70 Million Domestic Debut
By Movieguide® Staff
Studios and theaters breathed a collective sigh of relief after Universal’s F9, the 10th entry in the blockbuster FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, posted a $70 million domestic opening.
Not only did F9’s performance easily surpass every previous pandemic-era release, but it also earned the largest opening weekend in North America since 2019’s STAR WARS: RISE OF SKYWALKER, according to Box Office Mojo.
F9 was one of many tentpole movies to experience delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although only 80% of domestic theaters have fully reopened, F9 raced past the most recent FAST AND FURIOUS spinoff, HOBBES & SHAW, which opened to $60 million in August 2019.
The previous holder of the largest opening weekend was A QUIET PLACE PART II, which had a $47.5 million debut over Memorial Day weekend.
A portion of Movieguide®’s review of F9 reads:
F9 literally takes the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise to new heights. Dom and his wife, Letty, are taken from their isolated family life for a new mission. They and their team learn Dom’s estranged brother, Jakob, is working for a wealthy foreign oligarch trying to steal a dangerous computer hard drive system. The system will be uploaded to a newly launched satellite to hack into all satellites and control all the world’s electronic and military devices. Meanwhile, flashbacks reveal how Dom and Jakob’s father died and why Dom blames his brother.
As usual, F9 has some great FAST AND FURIOUS action sequences and emotionally powerful moments. This is also one of the funniest entries in the franchise. That said, the movie is hindered by too many flashbacks and some corny moments. The good news is that F9 has some of the strongest moral, redemptive content yet. It extols sacrifice, family, belief in God, prayer, forgiveness, reconciliation, and good overcoming evil, with few deviations. Despite this, MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution for excessive foul language and lots of action violence and mayhem in F9.
The success of the recent F9 confirms that audiences are ready to come back to theaters, especially when they are full of moral and redemptive elements that a broader range of viewers can enjoy.
Movieguide® previously reported:
As the Box Office looks to return to a sense of normalcy, moral content and pro-family values lead the way…
According to Box Office Mojo, Warner Bros.’s IN THE HEIGHTS earned 11.5M over the weekend, followed closely by PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY.
A QUIET PLACE PART II and PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY were released with a theatrical window, while Warner Bros.’s deal with the streamer HBO Max means that IN THE HEIGHTS is day-and-date for the first 31 days.
However, the top three movies prove Movieguide®’s claim that movies with moral, biblical, and family-friendly content lead box office numbers, pandemic or not.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
