The Fate of the Furious. the eighth instalment in the Fast and the Furious franchise, has broken international box-office records over the Easter weekend. The film has overtaken Star Wars: The Force Awakens to become the movie with the largest ever opening weekend taking $532.5 million globally. However, the film’s takings in America were significantly down on the previous instalment. Though with such a high-grossing worldwide this isn’t likely to be a concern for producers.
The film critic Rhianna Dhillon has spoken about the films and addressed the reason for their huge success. She said much of the popularity comes from the movie’s universal appeal. ‘They’re films people of all ages can enjoy because they have that pure, unadulterated escapism about them, children and adults alike are quite happy to watch things get blown up and smashed up.’ She continued. ‘This franchise isn’t trying to be anything it’s not. Ultimately, from the bottom up, it doesn’t take itself too seriously.’
She also spoke about the huge influence that the multi-ethnic cast has on the film’s appeal. ‘For example, if you break down the figures, the Latino audience is huge, what with Vin Diesel’s following. I think that has so much to do with it because not many films offer that.’ The films also attract major guest starts with both Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren both appearing in the new film.