Largely thanks to its overseas box office take, Fate of the Furious beat the global opening weekend record (by revenue) set by Star Wars: The Force Awakens 16 months ago, reports Box Office Mojo.
Fate of the Furious took in $532.5 million worldwide. Of that, $100.2 million was in the North American market, with the remaining $432.3 million coming from overseas.
The $432.3 million taken ovreseas easily beats the international opening weekend record that Jurassic World set in 2015, at just over $300 million. And the combined $532.5 million opening weekend for Fate of the Furious just edged out The Force Awakens, which had held the record at $529 million since its premiere in December 2015.
However, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which opened Dec. 18, 2015 in North America, did not premiere in China until Jan. 9, 2016. Fate of the Furious opened in China contemporaneous with all other markets. Fate of the Furious made $190 million in China on the opening weekend, about $90 million more than it did in the U.S. and Canada and 10 times more than third place on the list, Mexico at $17.8 million.
Fate of the Furious is the story of very attractive, robust individuals who utter pithy, dismissive dialogue after completing difficult vehicular stunts. It's the eighth movie since the franchise debuted in 2001. Over its 16-year lifespan, The Fast and the Furious franchise has grossed more than $4.4 billion for distributor Universal Pictures.
We weren't impressed with Fate of the Furious, calling it "the worst film in the Fast and Furious series" since 2002's 2 Fast 2 Furious. Still, its popcorn-flick appeal is undeniable. Fate of the Furious shouldn't get too attached to its record-setting haul, however. Star Wars: The Last Jedi will likely take the title back when it premieres in December.