The international film industry got a huge boost this week, as F9: The Fast Saga launched across multiple markets and smashed past several records.
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According to new IMAX Distribution numbers, F9’s launch in China was record-setting. The film earned $6.5 million in the IMAX box office, good for the biggest IMAX opening day in the Fast & Furious franchise and the biggest opening day ever for any Universal title in China.
In Korea, F9 generated $160,000 of opening day IMAX box office on Wednesday, which was the highest single IMAX box office day in Korea since December 1, 2019. In Hong Kong, F9 had the second biggest day of IMAX box office for the Fast & Furious franchise, earning $56,000 despite playing on 40% fewer screens due to COVID-19 closures.
According to Universal, the film has already broken records with the biggest International MPA opening of the pandemic, with the Fast & Furious franchise now having earned more than $6 billion globally. The estimated total for the film’s international release through Saturday is $127 million, with the weekend total set to rise as more go to see it.
F9: The Fast Saga sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth chapters of the series, which transformed into a global phenomenon. The action hurtles around the globe—from London to Tokyo, from Central America to Edinburgh, and from a secret bunker in Azerbaijan to the teeming streets of Tbilisi. Along the way, old friends will be resurrected, old foes will return, history will be rewritten, and the true meaning of family will be tested like never before.
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The film features returning cast members Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Sung Kang, with Oscar winner Helen Mirren and Oscar winner Charlize Theron. F9 also features Grammy-winning superstar Cardi B as a new franchise character Leysa, a woman with a connection to Dom’s past, and a cameo by Reggaeton sensation Ozuna.