The Fast and the Furious franchise really is something remarkable to behold. Beginning back in 2001 as just some street racing film with little in the way of future prospects, it has evolved into one of the most successful homegrown franchises of all-time. Other than the radar blip that was 'Tokyo Drift' (blame Bow-Wow), each installment has grown in box office and stature, with Fast Five upping the ante to ridiculous levels. But it's now been surpassed by Fast & Furious 6, which has just raced into history with the largest Memorial Day weekend in history. Not a small feat considering it faced competition from The Hangover Part III, which was expected to hang close if not pull equal business. Instead the Wolfpack were sent scurrying off with their tails between their legs as Vin Diesel and his crew more than doubled their tally. The four-day total is expected to clear $122M. It comes at a time when the 'Furious' series is entering a time of transition, with franchise director Justin Lin leaving and James Wan coming aboard for next year's film. With the promise of another huge star joining for the seventh installment, one that could have a similar impact as Dwayne Johnson's debut in Fast Five, we could be looking at an unprecedented string of record-breaking hits for such a long-lived tentpole. Smartly weaving in an internationally flavored cast over the years, the film has already racked up nearly $180M overseas, for a worldwide total of $275M. Audiences loved it, granting it an 'A' Cinemascore.
2. The Hangover Part III- $42.4M/$54.2M
Whereas Universal was smart to expand the scope of their Fast & Furious franchise over the years, Warner Bros. has never been able to figure out why The Hangover was a success four years ago. After a sequel that practically everybody threw monkey poop on, the third and supposedly final chapter of the Wolfpack trilogy is on the way to underperforming on a massive scale. The $42M opening is less than 2009's film, and half the debut of The Hangover Part II, suggesting that audiences still haven't forgotten how disappointing it was. Opening on Thursday, it's expected to take in $54.2M over the four days, and about $10M more with the Monday holiday included. The film earned a 'B' Cinemascore, suggesting that those who bothered to buy a ticket were reasonably entertained, but probably not enough for word-of-mouth to power a strong second weekend. Let's be honest, though, Warner Bros. had a Hell of a time trying to find a decent marketing angle for this one beyond "Hey they're going back to Vegas! Remember how funny they were in Vegas that one time"?
3. Star Trek Into Darkness- $38M/$146.8M
Holding on pretty well was J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness, slipping 45% and sticking close enough to The Hangover Part III that it could surpass it by the time the Monday numbers are calculated. Even with an additional $100M on the foreign market, these are middling totals at best, and it'll be interesting to see the direction Paramount decides to go with a third film.
4. Epic- $34.2M
Fox and Blue Sky Studios may not have an animated hit on the level of their Ice Age films, but Epic looks to have secured a sizable audience looking for family-friendly entertainment. Smartly, the marketing campaign was unabashedly geared towards kids, with much of the attention focused on the celebrity voice cast rather than the generic jungle plot.
5. Iron Man 3- $19.4M/$367.5M
6. The Great Gatsby- $13.7M/$114.4M
7. Mud- $1.9M/$14.5M
8. 42- $1.2/$91M
9. The Croods- $1.2M/$179.2M
10. Oblivion- $815K/$87.3M
Nine-year gaps don't mean a thing to Richard Linkater, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, and their Before Midnight, which opened like gangbusters with $274K in only five locations.
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