The industry is still trying to shake off the lingering effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, which has caused both a steep drop in box office takings and a drastically shortened window between theatrical and VOD releases. Fast & Furious 9 only premiered domestically on June 25th, but it’s available to rent from this coming Friday.
While the ninth installment in the beloved franchise obviously hasn’t been able to hit the same commercial heights as its predecessors, a global haul of $622 million and counting is a phenomenal return for the COVID-19 era. To put that into perspective, the second highest-grossing Hollywood blockbuster released since the beginning of 2020 is Godzilla vs. Kong, and it’s miles behind Dominic Toretto and the gang with $465 million in the coffers.
The return of director Justin Lin after a two-film sabbatical that saw James Wan and F. Gary Gray step behind the camera was the smartest move The Fast Saga could have made as it builds towards the concluding tenth and eleventh chapters. Nobody knows how to stage the signature brand of vehicular mayhem better than Lin, and his lightness of touch saw the mythology edge one step closer towards becoming completely self-aware.
Studio Universal reached an agreement with the major theater chains last year that would see any movie to make $50 million and above across its opening weekend play exclusively in multiplexes around the country for five weeks before heading to VOD, an obligation Fast & Furious 9 fulfilled and then some. With the Delta variant spreading, there’s still going to be a lot of folks reluctant to crowd themselves into a packed cinema, so forking over $20 to see the latest globetrotting adventure for the ensemble cast is a more than acceptable substitute.
Published: Jul 28, 2021 07:41 am