"Furious 7" raked in a record $143 million at the box office this weekend, breaking the record for biggest April opening ever and the biggest debut so far this year.
CNN Money reported that the previous record holder for biggest opening weekend in April was "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (2014), which took in $95 million.
"Fifty Shades of Grey" previously held the record for biggest opening weekend so far this year with its $85 million haul, but "Furious 7" blew well past that on Sunday.
"Furious 7" has been in the headlines since the death of series star Paul Walker in November 2013, and the producers of the movie had to complete some of Walker's scenes with the help of his brothers.
As The New York Times put it, "The studio also had to walk a marketing tightrope, promoting the film with Mr. Walker’s image without appearing to exploit his death."
Hispanic and African-American moviegoers made a particularly strong showing in terms of ticket sales, with studio Universal Pictures reporting that the groups made up 37 and 24 percent of sales, respectively.
Movie production costs and marketing totaled more than $300 for the seventh installment of the "Fast & Furious" franchise.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.