‘Fast X’ Speeds To $319M Global Opening – International Box Office

SUNDAY UPDATE, writethru: Universal’s Fast X has gotten off the starting blocks with an estimated $319M global opening. While that’s just a skosh lower than where we had it yesterday (see below), this is still the 2nd best worldwide debut of the year, behind only The Super Mario Bros. Movie (which itself has jumped up to the No. 3 position for animated film of all time, overtaking The Incredibles 2), as well as the 3rd biggest global launch for the franchise.

Overseas, the weekend take is $251.4M from 84 markets. This is the top international opening of the year and, for the series, the 2nd best start, after The Fate of the Furious.

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In like-for-like markets at today’s dollars, excluding China and previews, the international opening is the No. 3 best of the franchise: 77% ahead of F9, 36% ahead of  Hobbs & Shaw, and 13% and 17% below The Fate of the Furious and Furious 7, respectively.

When including China and previews, FX aslo has the No. 3 opening in the franchise at 6% ahead of F9, 8% ahead of Hobbs & Shaw, 39% below The Fate of the Furious and 8% below Furious 7.

In IMAX, the opening is the 2nd best globally for the franchise with $22M. Overseas accounted for $16.2M, the best ever for the month of May in the format in 17 markets including Japan, France, Germany, Italy and India.

Word of mouth and social scores have been strong for the Toretto family in their 10th time around. That includes China with an 8.9 on Maoyan. The estimated gross through Sunday there is $78.3M, the biggest studio debut of the year, and an encouraging note given recent wonkiness in the market. It’s already the No. 6 biggest Hollywood film released in China since 2019, behind Avatar 2, F9, Godzilla v Kong, Jurassic World Dominion and Free Guy.

Across another 31 markets, Fast X nabbed the best start of the year excluding previews. Majors include Spain, Brazil and Italy. For the F&F films, it’s the top start in 23 markets including including Argentina, Brazil, India, Japan, Mexico and Spain.

In total, the franchise has crossed $5.03B offshore meaning it’s the 5th biggest at the international box office.

Mexico logged the second best launch for the film overseas at $16.7M. When excluding previews, that’s 45% above F9 and 15% above F8. This is the No.5 biggest Universal opening weekend of all time, No.3 biggest opening of the franchise, No.2 biggest of the year (behind Mario), and No.5 since the pandemic.

France grossed $9.6M, the third best debut for the franchise. Brazil, also at $9.6M, had a record-breaking bow at more than 3x F9 and Hobbs & Shaw, excluding previews. This also marks the biggest Universal release of all time.

Rounding out the Top 5 is India at $8.6M, a No. 1 launch and Universal’s biggest opening weekend ever as well as the second best non-superhero studio start. It came in 530% above F9, 12% above Hobbs & Shaw, 15% above Fate of the Furious and 5% above Furious 7.

Other top starts include Indonesia ($8.4M), Germany ($8M), the UK ($7.5M), Japan ($7M) and Korea ($6.7M).

As for Disney/Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the global total through this third frame is $659.1M, outstripping the final gross of 15 other Marvel titles including Ant-Man 3, Iron Man, Thor 2, Iron Man 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy (excluding Russia at current rates). The film counts $392.6M from overseas with the current session bringing in $48.8M from 52 markets, a good drop of 47%. It will soon pass GOTG2 internationally.

The gang piloted the No. 2 non-local movie in all markets except Japan. Strong holds include Netherlands (+3%) France (-14%), Germany (-24%), Spain (-44%), Australia (-47%), UK (-47%), Korea (-48%), Brazil (-48%) and Japan (-50%).

The Top 5 markets to date are China ($72.3M), UK ($36.4M), Mexico ($30.8M), Korea ($26.9M) and France ($24.2M).

Turning back to Super Mario Bros, the Illumination/Nintendo/Universal charmer added $17.1M for a 33% drop across 80 markets. The overseas gross is approaching $700M at $698.5M through Sunday. Global is $1.248B.

In Japan, Mario is the biggest Universal animation ever with $67.4M and above all key comps including Frozen 2 at the same point. Mexico is still the top play at $83.8M, followed by Japan, UK ($64.2M) France ($56.5M) and Germany ($52M).

MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE

Evil Dead Rise (WB): $3.4M intl weekend (64 markets); $77M intl cume/$141.1M global
The Pope’s Exorcist (SNY): $1.6M intl weekend (57 markets); $53M intl cume/$72.8M global
Love Again (SNY): $1.1M intl weekend (42 markets); $4.5M intl cume/$10.4M global
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (PAR): $625K intl weekend (33 markets); $114.5M intl cume/$207.4M global

PREVIOUS, SATURDAY UPDATE: Universal’s Fast X is racing towards an estimated $320M global debut through Sunday. Now with 84 offshore markets in release, the international box office projection is $252.68M through tomorrow.

This 10th film in the Fast & Furious saga is in gear to become the No. 2 worldwide opening of the year behind only The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and the 3rd best for the Fast franchise behind only Fate of the Furious and Furious 7. It’s also the 2nd biggest non-superhero live-action debut since 2019 (behind Avatar: The Way of Water) and the 6th best overall studio debut since 2019 behind Spider- Man: No Way HomeDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessAvatar: The Way Of WaterThe Super Mario Bros. Movie and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Internationally, the Louis Leterrier-directed installment is expected to finish the weekend at No. 1 in all opening markets and will overtake Super Mario Bros and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as the best overseas start of the year to date. Among the Fast group of films, it is scoring the 3rd best start behind only The Fate of the Furious and Furious 7 in like-for-likes.

At today’s exchanges, excluding China and previews, the offshore bow is 80% ahead of F9, 38% ahead of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, 12% below The Fate of the Furious and 16% below Furious 7.

As noted coming into the frame, China was a major swing on this film – given the market’s recent cold shoulder to Hollywood and despite the franchise’s historical popularity there. However, the PRC is digging the Toretto family with a great Maoyan score and an incredible 150% jump from Friday to Saturday. Adding about $26M today, that’s the 3rd best Saturday for a studio movie since the beginning of the pandemic. Including today’s grosses, the total there is $64M so far. We expect strong play again on Sunday.

Elsewhere, and through Friday, pistons are firing in Mexico ($7.2M), France ($5.8M), Germany ($4.9M), Indonesia ($4.8M) and Brazil ($3.8M), among others.

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PREVIOUS, FRIDAY UPDATE: With 65 overseas markets under its fan-belt, Universal’s Fast X has grossed $68.7M at the international box office through Thursday. The full day yesterday was $35.1M (including previews in eight markets). The Toretto family is No. 1 in all majors and reporting markets.

China continues to lead play on the Louis Leterrier-directed installment with $26.3M through two days (including previews). Adding Friday’s estimates, it’s at $37M through three days with the hope that Saturday and Sunday see significant uplift versus today. Through Friday, Fast X is already seeing the biggest launch frame for a studio title there in 2023.

Elsewhere, Mexico has a running cume of $4.2M through Thursday. Yesterday’s $2.1M take was above both F9 and Hobbs & Shaw. France added $2.2M yesterday to reach a $4M cume so far. Fast X was No.1 in the market for the Ascension Day holiday, rising 27% from Wednesday’s start. Excluding previews, the two-day total is 22% above F9. Indonesia has grossed $3.5M through two days.

In Germany, Fast X has a $3.2M cume through Thursday, 64% above F9 and 46% over Hobbs & Shaw. India gave the crew a No. 1 opening on Thursday with $1.7M; Italy bowed to $1.1M on Thursday, notable as three Italian football teams were playing in European cups in the same evening. The first day is the second-biggest opening of the year, behind only Super Mario Bros.

PREVIOUS, THURSDAY UPDATE: Universal’s Fast X officially opened in 12 international box office markets on Wednesday, revving up with $32.9M (including Wednesday previews in a further 38 markets). The movie is No. 1 in every hub where it has opened, including China, France, Germany and Korea.

The lead play so far is China, which has a running cume through Thursday of $25.7M (note that Thursday’s figures are not included in the $32.9M Wednesday total above). As noted yesterday (see below), the start is encouraging given recent tepid audience sentiment towards Hollywood movies in the market. Fast X has maintained its 9 rating on Maoyan and scored the biggest Wednesday opening of the year for any film in the PRC.

In Mexico, and following a local promotional event with 6,000 fans, the Louis Leterrier-directed franchise entry grossed an estimated $2.1M from previews on Wednesday, in line with the opening Wednesday of F9 and the biggest preview result of the year (55% ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3).

France, with $1.8M from 813 screens on Wednesday, gave FX the second-biggest opening day of 2023 behind only The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The first day result is in line with Hobbs & Shaw, above Top Gun Maverick (+24%), GOTG3 (+50%) and Ant-Man Quantumania (+75%).

Germany grossed $1.5M on opening Wednesday, coming in 88% above F9.

Meanwhile, at $1.4M, Indonesia gave the Toretto family the biggest opening day ever for a non-superhero film, the biggest opening day of the franchise, and the biggest opening day of all-time for a Universal film.

Other notable markets include Thailand with $1.3M on Wednesday, capitalizing on a partial public sector holiday which drove strong results; Korea at $1M and a 93% CGV Egg score; Brazil with $1M for the biggest preview gross of 2023 (also topping the Wednesday previews of Fast 8); Taiwan, which launched with $600K from Wednesday previews and more than double the same day preview result for Fast 9; and Malaysia at $486K on Wednesday, delivering the biggest Wednesday preview result of the year, the biggest ever in May and the 4th biggest for Universal.

Officially releasing today are the UK, Spain and Japan, among others.

More to come…

PREVIOUS, WEDNESDAY: Universal’s Fast X has started its engines overseas, opening notably in China and Korea on Wednesday and clocking $18.4M from just those two markets.

The Louis Leterrier-directed franchise instalment got off to a strong start in China, taking an estimated $17.4M today, including $2.7M from midnight shows. It’s dominating the market with 84% of the total box office and has a great 9 from audiences on Maoyan. This is above F9’s 7.8.

The Wednesday is also the No. 4 biggest opening day for a studio film in China since the beginning of the pandemic and the other films ahead of it all opened on a Friday rather than a non-holiday Wednesday. It’s especially encouraging given sentiment towards Hollywood movies in the market has been tepid of late to say the least. The score is 84% of the Friday launch of Avatar: The Way of Water and 2.6x the Friday opening of Guardians of the Galaxy  Vol. 3, which itself provided some salve recently.

Still, the opening day results are below other films in the franchise (which opened on a weekend day and in a different climate in China). Fast X‘s Wednesday came in 57% below Hobbs & Shaw and 68% below F9. Compared to other Wednesday launches, FX is in the range of Avengers: Age of Ultron and Jurassic World.

Although China has been a huge market for the Fast & Furious franchise, it remains a swing here given recent uncertainties. We’ll be watching it closely throughout the weekend.

Korea also opened today with $1M and 60% market share. That’s 86% of F8, 30% above F7  and below both F9 and Hobbs & Shaw which opened on national holidays. The audience reactions are strong with a 94% CGV Egg score, above F9’s 89%.

Also opening today were such majors as France and Germany. We’ll have those numbers tomorrow. In total Fast X releases this weekend in 84 overseas markets.

Updates to come…

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