Box Office: ‘Fast X’ Targets $60 Million Launch in North America, $280 Million Worldwide

“Fast X,” the 10th installment in Universal’s high-octane franchise, is accelerating to top the global box office charts. The film is expected to open to $60 million or more in North America and at least $220 million at the international box office. Based on those estimates, “Fast X” is looking to capture $280 million worldwide in its first weekend of release.

In terms of domestic box office projections, a soft start of around $60 million is lower than the latest entry, 2021’s “F9: The Fast Saga,” which started at $70 million and ended its run. theatrical run with $173 million in North America. And that was at a time when COVID-era restrictions meant only 80% of theaters were open and attendance had yet to rebound. It’s also far behind pre-pandemic “Fast” installments, including 2017’s “The Fate of the Furious” (debuting $98 million), 2015’s “Furious 7” (a record debut $148 million) and 2013’s “Fast and Furious 6.” (starting at $97 million).

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Although the “Fast” saga saw dwindling returns in the United States and Canada, the big-screen homage to big men and fast cars remained hugely popular at the international box office. With each installment, overseas ticket sales accounted for a bigger slice of the pie, as “F9” and 2019 spin-off “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” each hit $550 million at overseas, and 2017’s “Fate of the Furious” wiped out the coveted $1 billion from overseas territories alone. “Fast X” is set to continue this trend as the film is the most expensive of the installment so far, costing a gargantuan $340 million to produce and another $100 million to promote to global audiences.

Directed by Louis Leterrier, “Fast X” follows Vin Diesel street racer Dom Toretto and his team as they take on the deadliest opponent they have ever faced. Jason Momoa plays the film’s antagonist Dante Reyes, the son of a drug lord who seeks revenge for the loss of his family’s fortune in an earlier heist in Rio de Janeiro. The ensemble cast includes a mix of familiar faces and newcomers to the family, including Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham, John Cena, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron and Rita Moreno. Already, another sequel is planned for 2025.

Variety Peter Debruge called the film “predictably ridiculous”, not that audiences watch these films for the plot. Especially with recent chapters, the “Fast” franchise has been less reliant on narrative consistency and more reliant on goofy, gravity-defying stunts and family tributes to sell tickets.

“Leterrier is bad with the story but reasonably strong on the action front,” Debruge wrote in his review. “With Hollywood’s most successful franchise showing no signs of slowing down, it was foolish recklessness to give such a mess the green light.”

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Originally Posted May 18, 2023 at 9:30 PM