THE Fate of the Furious that premiered last week at local Ster Kinekor cinemas, the same day it was rolled out in the United States, broke the record, as the highest opening global box office weekend selling tickets worth $531,98 million.
BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA
The eighth film in the Fast and Furious film franchise global box office opening weekend tickets overtook the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens that registered $529 million for the opening global box office weekend.
While locally, the final numbers have not yet been tallied, Ster Kinekor Zimbabwe claimed to have sold out tickets at all their cinemas, which have a combined 2 372 seating capacity.
Ster Kinekor Zimbabwe marketing manager, Ruzivo Chonyera yesterday told NewsDay that conversations around the film were mainly around its comedic elements, which were what helped drive non-action fans to watch the film.
“What it basically shows is that people love watching these movies on the big screen. Movies like The Fate of the Furious are attracting crowds,” she said.
“At Sam Levy’s the film is now in one cinema, but is still selling out. People have loved the Fast and the Furious films from the beginning as it captured many hearts.
“With this one, since the premiere itself, people have been talking about how it also had some comedic elements. People that do not normally like action are coming in because they love that twist or addition to the genre (action). It could also be because of the characters that are there.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
At the premiere of The Fate of the Furious at the Ster Kinekor Eastgate last week, staff members were overrun by the increased numbers of the people who went to watch the film.
During the screening of the film, fans did not shy away from showing their love for the film, screaming at different plot beats throughout the screening.
Their responses were especially loud over the action, comedic, suspense, thriller and few romantic scenes.
Without one of the franchise’s stars, Paul Walker, who died in 2013, the film was facing an uphill battle in trying to reform itself.
Evidence to this was in the opening weekend of The Fate of the Furious in the United States where it took $98 million down from $147,1 million recorded in 2015 for Furious 7.
However, the local and international fan base showed this was of no concern with $433,2 million The Fate of the Furious earned on the international market up from Furious 7’s $250,4 million.
