411 Box Office Report: F9: The Fast Saga Sets Pandemic Record With $70 Million Start

As expected, it was all about the Fast & Furious franchise at the box office this weekend as F9 opened to a pandemic-era record. The ninth film in the action franchise scored $70 million over the weekend, beating the previous three-day pandemic high of $47.5 million set by A Quiet Place Part II five weeks ago. The start puts F9 at the very high end of what box office analysts were expecting from it going into the weekend.

As usual, we have some caveats because of the current era we’re in. F9 is the lowest start for a Fast & Furious film (not including spinoff Hobbs & Shaw) since Tokyo Drift massively disappointed with just $24 million in its first weekend back in June of 2006. But it’s also a higher than Hobbs & Shaw’s $60 million start and is opening as theaters are still (albeit increasing) building toward capacity. Most people — Universal included — always expected F9 to open a bit below the $97.8 start of Fate of the Furious anyway; franchise fatigue is a thing, and this is why they’re starting to wind down the main franchise.

Either way, the studio is very happy with that number, and with another $335 million earned overseas so far it’s up to $405 million worldwide. That is also aiming pandemic-era record, running close to Godzilla vs. Kong’s $342.8 million international and $445 million worldwide takes. Even with relatively mild reviews (a 60% aggregated score on Rotten Tomatoes), F9 should be able to reach a likely $175 million to $200 million domestically, and will be a hit for Universal as expected.

A Quiet Place Part II, continues to roll on, down just 32% in its fifth weekend with $6.2 million. The horror sequel now stands at $136.4 million domestically and $232.9 million worldwide, making Paramount a massive profit against its $61 million budget. The movie is looking likely to cross the $150 million mark without too much difficulty and will push traffic to Paramount+ when it arrives there next month.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard was down by an expected (but not promising) 57% in its second weekend to take in $4.9 million. The action-comedy follow-up to The Hitman’s Bodyguard was never really expected to have long legs, especially considering the low critical reaction and average word of mouth. The film is now up to $25.9 million domestically and $32.6 million worldwide, meaning that it still has a ways to go if it wants to make back its $70 million budget. It will need a fair amount more on the international market, which may be its only real hope.

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway was down just 20% in its third weekend, taking in $4.9 million (about $25,000 less than Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard). The CGI/live-action family comedy has now nailed down $28.6 million domestically and $107.9 million worldwide, which means that Sony is headed toward profit against the $45 million budget plus marketing. The film should be able to end its domestic run at around $38 million to $40 million.

Cruella did well in its fifth weekend, scoring an additional $3.7 million which is down just 23%. The Disney film has grossed $71.3 million in the states and $183.8 million worldwide, looking pretty against its $100 million budget especially when you consider the revenue for the movie’s Disney+ Premier Access. It should end its run with around $80 million without too much trouble.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It slipped two spots in its fourth weekend with $2.9 million. That’s down 42% from last weekend, bringing its totals to $59.1 million domestically and $160.6 million worldwide. The film is currently targeting around probably $70 million in the US and is a major hit against its $39 million budget.

In the Heights continues to fade away, down 47% in its third weekend to $2.2 million. The Warner Bros. musical is definitely disappointing in terms of its gross and is now at $24.2 million domestically and $30.1 million worldwide. It should pick up on its revenue as the international rollout expands but it may end up being a money loser considering its $55 million budget. It should close its US run at around $30 million.

Spirit Untamed was off 34% in its fourth weekend, bringing in $1 million. The animated sequel currently sits at $15.8 million domestically and $21.2 million worldwide. It should be out of theaters relatively soon and won’t reach $20 million in the US.

12 Mighty Orphans eased 34% in its second weekend of wide release with $591,900. The sports drama is now at $2.3 million and could potentially top $4 million by the end of its run.

Not ready to give up the ghost, Nobody leapt back into the top 10 as it surged to $560,000. The action thriller has $26.7 million domestically and $53.6 million worldwide, a hit against its budget of just $16 million.

Next weekend will still see F9 on top unless it completely craters for some unforeseen reason. However, there are some new releases still on the way as The Boss Baby: Family Business and The Forever Purge arrive in theaters. The Boss Baby sequel is also arriving on Peacock the same day for a 60-day window and should open in the $15 million range, while Forever Purge should also be between $10 million to $15 million.

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN (Three-Day Domestic Numbers)
1. F9: The Fast Sage – $70 million ($70 million total)
2. A Quiet Place Part II – $6.2 million ($136.4 million total)
3. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard – $4.9 million ($136.4 million total)
4. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway – $4.9 million ($28.6 million total)
5. Cruella – $3.7 million ($71.3 million total)
6. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It – $2.9 million ($59.1 million total)
7. In The Heights – $2.2 million ($24.2 million total)
8. Spirit Untamed – $1 million ($15.8 million total)
9. 12 Mighty Orphans – $591,900 ($2.3 million total)
10. Nobody – $560,000 ($26.7 million total)