F9 tops the box office after massive opening weekend Published By Tribute on Jun 27, 2021

Adding to a franchise that has already grossed over $5 billion worldwide, F9 arrived in theaters this weekend as one of the summer's more anticipated films. With returning actors Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Charlize Theron, and newcomer John Cena making appearances, the ninth installment in the Fast saga came in hot, premiering at approximately 4,180 locations this weekend. That is a few hundred more than A Quiet Place Part II amassed in its first weekend and a combination of factors allowed F9 to overtake the thriller's $48.3 million opening. Also, in comparison to the pre-pandemic launch of Hobbs & Shaw which totalled $60 million in 2019, F9 topped its predecessor with a massive $70 million domestic, making it the film with the biggest opening weekend at the box office since the pandemic began.

Holding steady in second place is A Quiet Place Part II. The film, which stars Emily Blunt, has remained in the top two for five weeks straight since its release on May 28. Also displaying terrific holding power during the week, the sequel continued its box office stint to take in another $6.2 million this weekend. That pushes John Krasinski's film to a total box office gross of $136.4 million since opening and it continues to be the highest grossing film of 2021.

In third place, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard added $4.9 million this weekend. After an opening weekend that overcame expectations at $11.4 million, the Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek-led film dropped down two spots as F9 raced into theaters. Losing showtimes and IMAX screens to the anticipated action blockbuster, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard faced a sharp but expected drop down the list this weekend.

Falling one spot from last weekend, Sony's Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway continues to be the predominant family film in theaters, at least until The Boss Baby: Family Business opens next weekend. With a total gross of $28.8 million over three weeks, the animated sequel starring James Corden added another $4.8 million this weekend.

Rounding out the top five once again is Disney's Cruella. The film grossed an additional $3.7 million for a total of $71.3 million over five weeks. It also edged out Warner Bros. flicks The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and In the Heights. ~Cassandra Coleman