‘Fast X’ races to the top of the weekend box office, outpacing ‘Guardians Vol. 3’

The Vin Diesel-led franchise leaves director James Gunn’s Guardians installment in the dust at the weekend box office.

The Guardians of the Galaxy might have a spaceship, but Vin Diesel‘s Dominic Toretto has family… and they won’t be easily defeated.

Now in its third decade, the Fast saga is still going strong with many members of its core cast reuniting to fend off their greatest threat yet — a vengeful Jason Momoa. With returning stars that include Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, John Cena, and Ludacris, the action flick kicks off the final chapter of the series with a debut of $67.5 million domestically. Fast X also managed to break a record, racing into the No. 1 spot at the international box office with an estimated weekend gross of $251 million. 

But despite coming at the top of the weekend box office,  Fast X sits in seventh place compared to other Fast saga opening weekends. Even 2021’s F9 kicked off to a bigger yield, reaching $70 million when COVID restrictions still kept 20% of North American theaters closed. 

Next weekend, Fast X will face stiff competition when The Little Mermaid swims into theaters and snags a chunk of the film’s IMAX screens. 

Though no longer in first place, the rag-tag band of misfits at the center of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 are faring well, with a $31.9 million pull that brings the films gross to $266.5 million. Another Chris Pratt fronted film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie came in at No. 3 at the domestic box office, seven weeks into its run and still going strong with $9.8 million. The video game adaptation, whose voice cast includes Jack Black, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlie Day,  has grossed $549 million across North America and $1.2 billion worldwide. 

Wine, gossip and romance reigned supreme in fourth place, where Book Club: The Next Chapter sits with a weekend gross of $3 million. The film sees Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen take centerstage as four best friends on an Italian getaway. Two weeks in, the Book Club sequel has made $13 million domestic. Twisted horror flick Evil Dead Rise trailed in fifth place with $2.3 million, while John Wick: Chapter 4 attracted fans 9 weeks after its release, adding just over $1.3 million to its $185 million total.