‘F9’ draws highest box office haul of post-pandemic recovery

The ninth installment of the film franchise “The Fast and Furious” drew the highest box office haul in the post-pandemic recovery over the weekend, CNBC reported on Sunday. 

The new film “F9” pulled in $70 million in box office sales during its opening weekend, adding $37.9 million in international sales. The film now has amassed over $405 million since its May debut outside the U.S. 

“F9” tops previous record holder Paramount’s “A Quiet Place Part II” which draw $50 million in ticket sales in May, according to CNBC. Other top openers include “Godzilla vs. Kong” and Disney’s “Cruella,” CNBC noted. 

The increasing box office returns come as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted across the U.S. Eighty percent of North American theaters are open, according to Comscore data cited by CNBC. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the lifting of most restrictions for vaccinated people in May. 

Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told CNBC that the “F9” opening weekend was an “absolute best move” for Universal, adding that the movie provided a glimpse into the future of movie theaters. 

“And that future now looks very bright and bodes well for the big films now in the pipeline set for release in the coming weeks and months,” Dergarabedian said.