The latest installment in the Fast & Furious film franchise is the #1 movie in the country this week. F9 brought in an estimated $70 million in domestic gross since arriving in cinemas on June 25.
That $70 million total is the largest first-weekend box office number since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In addition, F9 scored the best opening since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ($176 million).
With an additional $334 million from international markets, F9 has already crossed the $400 million mark worldwide. The initial 2020 release date for the Justin Lin-directed motion picture was delayed after the coronavirus crisis shut down movie theaters around the globe.
F9 stars musicians/actors Tyrese Gibson and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges. The cast also includes Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Michael Rooker, Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell, and Charlize Theron.
Hip Hop artist Belcalis “Cardi B” Almánzar made her second feature film appearance in F9, following her debut in the 2019 crime drama Hustlers. The Grammy-winning Invasion of Privacy album creator is expected to return for future Fast & Furious movies.
“I was a little over doing short appearances in films, but I’m like, ‘It’s freaking Fast & Furious.’ So I was like, ‘Get me there. Put me on a plane,’” said Cardi B in a featurette presented prior to the release of F9. Vin Diesel is quoted saying, “We are very much excited to evolve her character and to expand it to the finale.”
Cardi B, Ludacris, Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth, and Ozuna performed at the “Road To F9” concert in January 2020. The two-hour trailer drop event was scheduled before the COVID-19 caused states and cities to issue lockdown orders to prevent the spread of the virus.
Fast & Furious is one of the most commercially successful series in film history. Universal Pictures’ action flicks have made over $6 billion at the worldwide box office. According to CNBC, Fast & Furious is the seventh highest-grossing film franchise of all time.