Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez introduce a new Furious 7 international trailer below, but before we get to that, early tracking for the upcoming April 3 release has the film targeting as much as a $100 million opening with others going as high as $115 million. The reason? “[I]t’s the groundswell of love for the late Paul Walker that is driving pre-release projections,” writes Todd Cunningham at The Wrap.
“I think it could go even higher than [$115 million],” Rentrak’s senior analyst Paul Dergarabedian told The Wrap, “and that’s because of the X factor that Walker’s fans provide.”
I wonder, is it an “X Factor” or is it a morbid curiosity and interest in seeing Walker on screen as well as seeing what Universal and director James Wan did, bringing in Walker’s brothers to help complete the film? I know I’m personally interested in seeing that, though I’m also in the bag for these movies and have a blast watching them.
The Wrap also points to the film’s social media presence, noting the more than 52 million “likes” on Facebook, saying it’s “generating more online heat” than Avengers: Age of Ultron and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. I’m not really sure if I’d go that far, especially with Avengers already expected to bring in upwards of $217 million in May and I personally think Star Wars will even top that.
However, a $100+ million opening in April would be a record, breaking the $95 million brought in last year by Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but it’s hardly a risky prediction at this point considering Fast 6 opened with $97.3 million back in 2013. A $150 million opening would be going out on a limb and considering there’s zero competition I have to ask… any of you going out on that limb?
Before you answer in the comments below, check out the latest trailer.
Continuing the global exploits in the franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead the returning cast of Fast and Furious 7, which will be released by Universal Pictures on April 3, 2015. James Wan directs this chapter of the hugely successful series, and Neal H. Moritz and Vin Diesel return as producers.
The film stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Sung Kang, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Ronda Rousey, Lucas Black, Tony Jaa, Michael Jai White and Michelle Rodriguez.
