Filmworld
'Furious 7' breaks records with $143.6 mn debut
Los Angeles, April 6
The much awaited "Furious 7" action-thriller has raced to the top of
the domestic box office in the US, picking up a massive $143.6 million
in its opening weekend.
Blowing away the record of $95 million by
“Captain America: The Winter Soldierâ€, the film stands as the
highest-grossing opening for any of the “Fast and Furious†franchise.
“Furious 7" also ranks ninth among the top 10 openings in history, reports variety.com.
Much
as “The Dark Knight†turned into a memorial for Heath Ledger, audiences
flocked to see star Paul Walker in one of his final roles.
Walker
died in a 2013 car crash at the age of 40, and his work on the film was
completed using digital technology and a series of stand-ins.
“This
is a bittersweet installment in the franchise (Walker’s) passing made
this movie more intriguing for people who hadn’t seen some of the
installments. It raised awareness and its success is a tribute to him,â€
said Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com.
Internationally, “Furious 7" was screened across 10,500 screens in 63 territories, earning $240.4 million.
The
film stars Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana
Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham and
Indian actor Ali Fazal.