F9 gets to speed out of the blocks in overseas territories this weekend, leaving the U.S. release stuck on the grid awaiting a July 25 greenlight, followed a few weeks later by the stalled U.K. getaway on July 8th. Experts are predicting that the latest entry in Universal’s phenomenally successful franchise will make the most of this head-start by generating upwards of $150M from Korea, Hong Kong, the Middle East, Russia and China.
It’s in the latter territory that Universal will be hoping Fast 9 (or F9, or whatever it’s called by the time it comes out) will make the biggest dent. Not least because previous installments in the franchise have been huge hits in the country, with Fast 7 and The Fate of the Furious making nearly $400M each at the Chinese box-office.
It’s hard to predict exact figures in terms of pandemic-era moviegoing, but with the box-office currently booming in China thanks to domestic hits like Hi Mom, Detective Chinatown 3, and the Demon Slayer movie, insiders hope that the release of Fast 9 will easily trounce the international opening of Godzilla vs. Kong, which stands at $121M.
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Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena, The Suicide Squad).
The action hurtles around the globe—from London to Tokyo, from Central America to Edinburgh, and from a secret bunker in Azerbaijan to the teeming streets of Tbilisi. Along the way, old friends will be resurrected, old foes will return, history will be rewritten, and the true meaning of family will be tested like never before.
F9 sees Justin Lin directing series veterans Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Sung Kang, Charlize Theron, and Helen Mirren, along with franchise newcomers John Cena (Bumblebee), Finn Cole (Peaky Blinders), Anna Sawai (Ninja Assassin), Vinnie Bennett (Ghost in the Shell), Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy), Cardi B (Hustlers), MMA fighter Francis Ngannou, and singer Ozuna.
Source – Variety
