Any other year, it wouldn’t be a massive surprise that a ‘Fast & Furious’ film debuted with a huge box office total. But after a year of basically no theatrical releases and no major blockbusters, the fact that “F9” debuted with a $70 million estimated opening weekend is noteworthy. Not only is it the 3-day pandemic-era record for a major film, but when you combine it with the debuts of recent films like “A Quiet Place Part II,” “Cruella,” and “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard,” it’s clear that the North American theatrical industry is making a strong comeback. And Vin Diesel is excited to be the star that helps.
As mentioned, according to estimates, “F9” debuted atop the North American box office with a $70 million domestic total. While the $70 million doesn’t compare to the recent box office of the franchise, with 5 other features in the ‘Fast’ Saga outgrossing it in opening weekend totals (though it did outgross ‘Hobbs and Shaw’ by nearly $10 million), it’s an absolutely massive debut for a film during this time where people are still not fully embracing the theatrical release model just yet. And it’s a massive endorsement to studios that film fans are willing to go back to cinemas for an experience they can’t get at home.
And it’s that sentiment that led Vin Diesel and Charlize Theron to applaud the fact that “Cinema is back!” during an interview with Variety.
“I think what feels best is just the idea that people are returning to the theatrical experience,” Diesel said. “It feels good to say, ‘Cinema is back!’”
He continued, “You can’t fault another studio for wanting to stream a movie, but the ones like Universal are bold enough to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to support the theatrical release. I take my hat off to them.”
Theron added, “It’s amazing. Just thinking about the fact that they’re on their ninth movie, that’s pretty impressive. It’s a perfect movie to help us come back.”
READ MORE: The 12 Most Ridiculous Moments In The ‘Fast & Furious’ Franchise
Though Diesel isn’t shy about using hyperbole to sell his ‘Fast’ films, he’s not wrong about one thing regarding the debut—the theatrical exclusivity definitely helped drive enthusiasm to bring people back to cinemas. Unlike the aforementioned “Cruella” and many other films that have been released in 2021, where they debuted on streaming the same day as theatrical, the only way to see “F9” is to see it in theaters right now. There’s no denying that plan helped drive up box office totals.
It’ll be interesting to see how the hybrid streaming/theatrical release will affect the next major blockbuster, “Black Widow,” which is arriving on July 9. That film will debut in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access (for a $30 premium) on the same day. Will film fans rush to theaters to see it on the big screen or will they watch it at home? We’ll just have to wait and see.
But for now, it’s time to celebrate if you’re Universal or Vin Diesel. “F9” might be looked back on in the coming years as the film that helped pump a little NOS into the box office.