“The Fate of the Furious” is now estimated to make $100 million at the box office this Easter weekend after making $31.8 million from 4,310 screens on Saturday.
Though that total falls on the lower end of tracking estimates — some trackers had it making as much as $125 million — it’s an opening that Universal will happily take, having set $100 million as their expected target for the weekend. “Fate” is now the second film in the franchise to pass the century mark on its opening weekend, joining the April-record $147 million set by “Furious 7” and passing the $97.3 million hit by “Fast & Furious 6.”
“Fate” has earned the highest domestic opening for a movie made by a black director, passing the $64 million made by “Straight Outta Compton.” Both movies were directed by F. Gary Gray.
The bigger story is that Universal’s decision to roll out “Fate” in 63 international markets is putting them on track to set a new record for the biggest global opening weekend of all-time. Overseas estimates have “Fate” making $430.4 million this weekend, smashing the $316 million record set by “Jurassic World”.
If the worldwide estimate of $534 million holds, “The Fate of the Furious” will break the $528.9 million record by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Even if it falls just short of that when the final numbers come in, it’s still likely to beat the $525 million set by “Jurassic World” and will easily pass the $397.7 million “Furious 7” made. Universal is also now the second studio to gross $1 billion overseas this year, joining Disney, who reached the record on the back of “Beauty and the Beast” a few weeks ago. The “F&F” franchise as a whole has grossed $4.4 billion since first arriving in theaters back in 2001.
Taking second place this Easter is “The Boss Baby,” making an estimated $15.5 million in its third frame to bring its cume to $116 million. “Beauty and the Beast” is in third after passing the $1 billion global mark this past week, now sporting a domestic cume of $454.7 million after making $13.6 million in its fifth weekend.
“Smurfs: The Lost Village” came in fourth with $6.5 million, bringing its cume to $24.7 million after two weekends. “Going in Style” rounds out the top 5, making $6.3 million for a $23.3 million cume.