“Fast X” Speeds Ahead with a Whopping $15.3 Million Opening Day in China
On its debut day, “Fast X,” the 10th installment in the beloved “Fast & Furious” series, attracted an impressive crowd of over two million moviegoers in Chinese cinemas. The film raked in an astounding $15.3 million in box office revenue, solidifying its dominant position as the clear victor in the midweek release category. This exceptional performance also positions “Fast X” as the leading Hollywood film of the year in China, the world’s second-largest movie market.
According to preliminary figures provided by local service Ent Group, the movie generated an additional $2.83 million from preview screenings held on Tuesday. This brings the estimated total to a remarkable $18.2 million by the end of its official first day in theaters.
“Fast X” Set to Dominate the Weekend Box Office Despite New Chinese Releases
Early indicators and advance bookings suggest that “Fast X” will continue its reign as the top film in China throughout the weekend, even as new Chinese titles vie for screens upon their release on Friday, the traditional movie outing day in the country.
#FastX has earned $18.4M in China and Korea on its first day
Read our review https://t.co/FGQCt8n6Xi pic.twitter.com/n0oN7mNbwJ
— Geek Vibes Nation (@GeekVibesNation) May 17, 2023
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” which held the top spot at the Chinese box office for the past two weekends, slipped to third place on Wednesday, accumulating a daily total of $920,000. After 13 days, its overall earnings stand at $64.3 million.
Ticketing agency Maoyan projects that “Fast X” will effortlessly reach a lifetime total of RMB728 million ($104 million USD) in China. However, these estimates are subject to potential revisions.
Apart from the exceptional success of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which experienced a surge in popularity from late December to mid-January, Hollywood films have faced challenges this year in recapturing their former glory in the Chinese market. This slump follows a period when Chinese regulators reduced the importation of Hollywood movies, coupled with strict anti-COVID measures in 2022 that led to the market’s lowest performance in a decade.
In comparison, previous “Fast” films revved up much faster in China. In 2015, “Fast 7” amassed RMB346 million ($49.4 million USD) on its opening day, while in 2018, “Fast 8” raced ahead with RMB417 million ($59.6 million USD) on its debut day.
As expected, the latest installment has thrilled fans of the franchise, while leaving others on the sidelines. On ticketing platforms like Maoyan and Taopiaopiao, “Fast X” boasts an impressive user rating of 9.0 out of 10. However, on more discerning film review websites, the movie’s score is a more modest 6.9.
