New releases fade in ‘Furious’ wake
LOS ANGELES (AP): THE FATE of the Furious sped into first place at the box office again, leaving new thriller
Unforgettable and historical drama The Promise in the dust.
Universal Pictures’ eighth instalment in The Fast and the
Furious franchise earned US$38.7 million in North American cinemas over the weekend, down 61 per cent from its debut, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
The newcomers could not compete with the high-octane film, which had the biggest worldwide opening of all time last weekend. It has earned US$908.4 million globally so far and is expected to cross US$1 billion this week.
Holdovers dominated the charts on this quiet weekend in theatres.
The Boss Baby took second place with US$12.8 million, and
Beauty and the Beast landed in third with US$10 million. Disney’s animal documentary
Born in China opened in fourth place, with US$5.1 million from 1,508 locations.
“It was a tough weekend in
general for the newcomers,” comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said, noting that it was likely that many moviegoers were saving up for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, which hits theatres on May 5.
Following are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian cinemas, according to comScore.
1. The Fate of the Furious, US$38.7m (US$163.4m international)
2. The Boss Baby, US$12.8m (US$30m international)
3. Beauty and the Beast, US$10m (US$22.9m international)
4. Born in China, US$5.1m (US$100,000 international)
5. Going in Style, US$5m (US$4.6m international)
6. Smurfs: The Lost Village, US$4.9m (US$21.4m international).
7. Unforgettable, US$4.8m (US$1.7m international) 8. Gifted, US$4.5m. 9. The Promise, US$4.1m. 10. The Lost City of Z, US$2.1m