By comparison, the previous installment in this high-octane franchise, 2013’s Fast & Furious 6, earned $238.6 million domestically and $550 million internationally for a worldwide total of $788.6 million worldwide, $66.4 million of which came from China.
The sequel opens in 33 more territories today, while it is also expected to open huge in China, after setting a new pre-sales box office record.
Furious 7 kicked off with a $397 million global debut, and if this new China pre-sales record is any indication, Fast 8 should open huge in China, and likely the rest of the world as well.
Analysts have projected a domestic debut between $150 million and $160 million, which would be another franchise high and break Furious 7’s April opening weekend record of $147.1 million.