Fast & Furious 9 tops global box office with $164 mn on opening weekend

The movie Fast & Furious 9 or F9 which was the latest instalment in the franchise of Universal Pictures has hit a massive $162.4 million in as many as eight markets worldwide, including China, Hong Kong, Korea and the Middle East amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Not just that, F9 has also become the No. 1 movie this weekend globally, reported Entertainment Weekly. Despite the pandemic and covid-19 rules, the ticket sales for the movie were as strong as the pre-pandemic times. The movie easily marked the best start for a Hollywood blockbuster since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world. According to Variety, F9 earned $162 million during this weekend. Out of this, a massive $135 million came from China, which terms it as the second-biggest launch for the franchise in the country. Meanwhile, hitting another milestone, F9 has become the first Hollywood film in two years after Avengers: Endgame made its debut to garner more than $100 million in China. Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, president of international distribution, Universal Pictures said that moviegoers are eager to come back to theaters, provided that the right movie is out there. The publication further reported that Fast & Furious 9 opened to $9.9 million in Korea, as well as $6.2 million in the Middle East and $2.4 million in Hong Kong. Globally, F9 has pushed the Fast & Furious franchise to $6 billion with this weekend’s ticket sales, stated The Hollywood Reporter.  Universal’s franchise film F9 was directed by Justin Lin and featured Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, John Cena in pivotal roles. The movie will debut in US theatres on 25 June and will release in 60 additional markets over the summer, as per the  Entertainment Weekly report.