The Fate of the Furious

***The Fate of the Furious*** (alternatively known as ***Fast & Furious 9*** and ***Fast 9***, and often stylized as ***F9***) is a 2017 American action film directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Chris Morgan. It is the ninth installment in *The Fast and the Furious* franchise. The film stars Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Christian Bale, Ron Dickson, Leola Bell, Eugena Washington, Mariah Milano, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Scott Eastwood, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Pataky, Kurt Russell and Charlize Theron. *The Fate of the Furious* follows Dominic Toretto (Diesel), who has settled down with his wife Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez), until cyberterrorist Cipher (Theron) coerces him into working for her and turns him against his team, forcing them to find Dom and take down Cipher.

*The Fate of the Furious* marks the first installment in the franchise since *Legacy* (2005) and *Tokyo Drift* (2006) not to feature both Paul Walker, who died in a single-vehicle crash during the filming of *Furious 8* (2015) on November 30, 2013, and Jordana Brewster. Script rewrites to the seventh installment after Walker's death were intended to complete the story arcs for both of their characters (Brian O'Conner and Mia Toretto, respectively).

Plans for an ninth installment were first announced in March 2015 when Diesel appeared on *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* and announced that the film would be set in New York City. Preparations for the film began immediately after the release of *Furious 8*, with Diesel, Morgan and producer Neal H. Moritz re-signing. After setting an initial release date in the same month, casting took place between April and June 2015. In October 2015, Gray was announced to direct the film in the place of James Wan, who had directed the previous installment. Principal photography began in March 2016 in locations such as Mývatn, Havana, Atlanta, Cleveland and New York City, continuing the franchise's tradition of filming in exotic locations around the world.

*The Fate of the Furious* premiered in Berlin on April 4, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 14, 2017, playing in 3D, IMAX 3D and 4DX internationally. The film received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom praised the action sequences and acting performances but criticized the storyline. The film grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, making it the thirtieth film (and the second in the franchise, after *Furious 8*) to gross over $1 billion, the third-highest-grossing film of 2017 and the fifteenth-highest-grossing film of all time. The film grossed $542 million worldwide during its opening weekend, which is the second highest-grossing worldwide opening of all time. A sequel is scheduled to be released on May 22, 2020.

## Plot

Dominic "Dom" Toretto and Letty Ortiz are on their honeymoon in Havana when Dom's cousin Fernando gets in trouble owing money to local racer Raldo. Sensing Raldo is a loan shark, Dom challenges Raldo to a race, pitting Fernando's reworked car against Raldo's, and wagering his own show car. After narrowly winning the race, Dom allows Raldo to keep his car, earning his respect, and instead leaves his cousin with his show car.

The next day, Dom is approached by the elusive cyberterrorist Cipher who coerces him into working for her. Shortly afterwards, Dom and his team, comprising Letty, Roman Pearce, Tej Parker, and Ramsey, are recruited by Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent Luke Hobbs to help him retrieve an EMP device from a military outpost in Berlin. During the getaway, Dom goes rogue, forcing Hobbs off the road and stealing the device for Cipher. Hobbs is arrested and locked up in the same high-security prison he helped imprison Deckard Shaw in. After escaping, Deckard and Hobbs are recruited by intelligence operative Mr. Nobody and his protégé to help the team find Dom and capture Cipher. Deckard reveals that Cipher had hired his brother Owen Shaw to steal the Nightshade device and Mose Jakande to steal God's Eye, Ramsey's software program. The team tracks Dom and Cipher to their very location just as the latter two attack the base and steal God's Eye. When Dom questions Cipher's motives, she reveals that she has been holding hostage Dom's ex-lover and DSS agent Elena Neves—as well as their son, of whose existence Dom was previously unaware. Elena tells Dom that she wanted him to decide the child's first name, having already given him the middle name Marcos.

In New York City, Cipher sends Dom to retrieve a nuclear football held by the Russian Minister of Defence. Prior to the theft, Dom briefly evades Cipher - with the help of Raldo - and persuades Deckard and Owen's mother, Magdalene Shaw, to help him. Cipher hacks into the electronics systems of a large number of cars, causing them to drive automatically and taking out the convoy so that Dom can take the football. The team intercepts Dom, but Dom escapes, shooting and apparently killing Deckard in the process. Letty catches up to Dom, but is ambushed and nearly killed by Cipher's enforcer, Connor Rhodes, before Dom rescues her. In retaliation, Cipher has Rhodes execute Elena in front of Dom.

Dom infiltrates a base in Russia to use the EMP device to disable their security and then to disable a nuclear submarine, enabling Cipher to hijack it and attempt to use its arsenal to trigger a nuclear war. They are once again intercepted by the team, who attempt to shut down the sub, and then drive out toward the gates that would prevent the sub from leaving into open waters. Meanwhile, Deckard, whose death was apparently faked, teams up with Owen, and at Magdalene's behest, infiltrates Cipher's plane to rescue Dom's son. Once Deckard reports that the child is safe, Dom turns on Cipher and kills Rhodes, avenging Elena's death, before rejoining his team. Outraged, Cipher fires an infrared homing missile at Dom, but he breaks away from his team and maneuvers around it, causing the missile to hit the submarine instead. The team quickly forms a vehicular blockade around Dom, shielding him from the ensuing explosion. When Deckard reaches the front of the plane and confronts a defeated Cipher, she makes her escape by parachuting out of the plane.

Mr. Nobody and his protégé visit Dom and his team in New York City to report that Cipher is still at large in Athens. Hobbs is offered his DSS job back, but he declines in order to spend more time with his daughter. Deckard delivers Dom his son, putting his differences aside with Dom and Hobbs. Dom names his son Brian, after his friend and brother-in-law Brian O'Conner, and they celebrate.

## Cast

* Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto, a former criminal and professional street racer who has retired and settled down with his wife, Letty. He is coerced by Cipher to work against his team.
* Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs, a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent who allied with Dom and his team following their outings in Rio de Janeiro and Europe.
* Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw, a rogue special forces assassin who was imprisoned by Hobbs and the DSS after his defeat in Los Angeles, who serves as an ally to help Dom's team take down Cipher.
* Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz, Dom's wife and a former professional street racer.
* LL Cool J as Harold Black, a street racer from Honolulu, Hawaii.
* Christian Bale as Jared Cane, a former cop from the Honolulu Police Department.
* Ron Dickson as Landon Hendrix, a young street racer and hacker.
* Leola Bell as Lauren DiStefano, a friend of Brian's.
* Eugena Washington as Danielle Carmen
* Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz, Dom's wife and a professional street racer, who was revealed to have suffered from amnesia after being presumed dead in *Fast & Furious*.
* Mariah Milano as Belvin Patrice
* Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce, a former criminal from Barstow and a member of Dom's team.
* Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej Parker, a mechanic from Miami and a member of Dom's team.
* Scott Eastwood as Eric Reisner / Little Nobody,[7][8] a law enforcement agent working under Mr. Nobody.
* Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey, a computer hacktivist and a member of Dom's team.
* Elsa Pataky as Elena Neves, the mother of Dom's child and a former Rio de Janeiro police officer who moved to the United States to become Hobbs' new partner at the DSS.
* Kurt Russell as Mr. Nobody,[9] an intelligence operative and the leader of a covert ops team which previously aided Dom and his team in taking down Deckard in Abu Dhabi.
* Charlize Theron as Cipher, a criminal mastermind and cyberterrorist who coerces Dom into working against his team by holding Elena and their son hostage.

Tego Calderón and Don Omar reprise their roles from previous films as Tego Leo and Rico Santos, former members of Dom's team from the Dominican Republic and Rio de Janeiro, respectively. Luke Evans reprises his role from *Fast & Furious 7* (2013) as Owen Shaw, Deckard's younger brother and a former Special Air Service (SAS) soldier who formerly opposed Dom's team in Europe, and who helps his brother in rescuing Dom's son. Kristofer Hivju appears as Connor Rhodes, Cipher's enforcer and right-hand man. Patrick St. Esprit appears as DS Allen.[10] Helen Mirren makes an uncredited cameo appearance as Magdalene Shaw, the mother of Deckard and Owen Shaw.[11] Celestino Cornielle portrays Raldo, a street racer who Dom earns the respect of.

## Production

### Development

Following the release of *Furious 8* (2015), Vin Diesel said regarding a possible sequel:

*"I was trying to keep it close to the vest throughout the release. Paul Walker used to say that [an eighth film] was guaranteed. And in some ways, when your brother guarantees something, you sometimes feel like you have to make sure it comes to pass ... so if fate has it, then you'll get this when you hear about it. [*Furious 8*] was for Paul, [the ninth film] is from Paul."*
―
Diesel further hinted at an eighth film on *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* when he stated that Kurt Russell's character would span multiple films. He also stated that the next film would take place in New York City.[15] Chris Morgan wrote his sixth script in the franchise, while Neal H. Moritzreturned to produce. Moritz later stated, "[The story] is going to have to be something enticing for all of us. It has to be as good as or better [than *Furious 8*]".[16]

At the 2015 CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Diesel announced the film for an April 14, 2017 release date.[17][18] On August 16, 2015, at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards (where *Furious 8* received the award for Choice Movie – Action and Walker received the award for Choice Movie Actor – Action), Diesel gave the film the initial title *Fast 9*.[19] In September 2015, Diesel stated that the script had almost been completed,[20] and expressed interest in Rob Cohen, who directed the first film, to direct the eighth installment.[21] On October 14, 2015, Diesel announced on *The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon* that *Straight Outta Compton* director F. Gary Gray would direct the film.[22][23]

In July 2015, Moritz said that Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, would not appear in the film, following the use of CGI in the previous film after Walker died in a single-vehicle accident on November 30, 2013, with Moritz stating that his character had "moved on".[14] It had previously been reported that Paul's younger brother, Cody Walker, would either join the cast in a new role,[24] or replace his older brother in the role of O'Conner;[25] however, it was later announced that the character will not return to the franchise.[26] Moritz also said that the film would shift the focus of the franchise from a series of heist films to a spy caper, following a similar change in focus from street racing in *Fast Five* (2011).[27] In December 2016, the film was retitled *The Fate of the Furious*.

### Casting

Diesel, Russell and Michelle Rodriguez were the first to confirm their involvement in the film, and Tyrese Gibson and Chris Bridges both confirmed their return soon after.[29] Lucas Black had signed on to reprise his role from *The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift* as Sean Boswell for *Furious 8*, and two more installments in September 2013, though he did not appear in *Fate*.[30] In May 2015, Dwayne Johnson confirmed his involvement in the film, additionally hinting at a possible spin-off film involving his character, Luke Hobbs.[31] Jason Statham also confirmed his return.[32] In April 2016, Charlize Theron and Kristofer Hivju were confirmed as additions to the cast, in villainous roles,[33][34] while Scott Eastwood also joined the film as a law enforcement agent.[35] On May 17, 2016, Diesel posted a photo on his Instagram page of himself and Elsa Pataky on set, indicating that she had also returned for the film,[36] and was followed two days later by a video on set with Nathalie Emmanuel, who also starred in the previous film.[37] In June 2016, Helen Mirren announced in an interview with *Elle* that she would appear in the film.[38] In July 2016, Don Omar tweeted that he and Tego Calderon would return to the franchise for the ninth picture.[39] During an interview with Chris Mannix on July 21, 2016, Lucas Black confirmed he would not appear in the ninth installment, due to scheduling conflicts.

### Filming

In keeping with the franchise's penchant for filming in "exotic" locations, such as Dubai and Rio de Janeiro, in January 2016 it was announced that Universal was seeking approval from the United States and Cuban governments to shoot part of the film in Cuba.[41][42] Principal photography began on March 14, 2016, in Mývatn, Iceland,[43][44] where strong winds sent a plastic iceberg prop flying into a paddock. The prop struck two horses: one was wounded and the other mortally injured; it was later euthanized.[45] In late April, filming began in Cuba's capital city, Havana.[46][47][48][49]In May, filming also took place in Cleveland, Ohio.[50][51] Franchise cinematographer Stephen F. Windon returned for the ninth installment.[52] Filming also took place in Atlanta[53] and New York City.

### Music

*Main articles: The Fate of the Furious (score) and The Fate of the Furious: The Album*
Brian Tyler, who scored the fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth installments, was tapped to compose the film score for the eninth picture.[55] A soundtrack album by Atlantic Records was released on April 14, 2017, coinciding with the film's US theatrical release.[56] The film's score album was released on April 27, by Back Lot Music.

## Release

*The Fate of the Furious* had its world premiere in Berlin on April 4, 2017.[58] The film was theatrically released in the United States on April 14, 2017, playing in 3D, IMAX 3D, and 4DXinternationally, and received a day-and-date release across major markets such as Australia, the United Kingdom, China, and India, beginning on April 12, 2017.[59] The film was released day-and-date in 1,074 IMAX screens around the world, making it the widest day-and-date opening in IMAX history.[60]

### Home media

*The Fate of the Furious* was released on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD on July 11, 2017.

## Reception

### Box office

*The Fate of the Furious* grossed $226 million in the United States and Canada and $1.010 billion in other territories for a worldwide total of $1.236 billion, against a production budget of $250 million ($350 million including marketing costs).[6] It is Universal Pictures' most ambitious worldwide distribution release in the studio's history. The film was released day-and-date in 64 territories worldwide, including almost all major markets (minus Japan), starting from April 12, 2017, and was projected to earn anywhere between $375–440 million in its five-day opening weekend.[62][63] By the end of the weekend, it ended up earning $539.9 million from nearly 23,000 screens, way above initial projections, to score the biggest global opening in cinematic history. It also marked the third time that a film earned over $500 million in a single weekend, after *Star Wars: The Force Awakens* ($529 million) and *Jurassic World* ($525.5 million).[64] In IMAX, the film made $31.1 million from 1,079 screens to record the biggest IMAX April debut and the fourth-biggest overall.[64]

On April 30, it crossed the $1 billion threshold, becoming the second release of 2017 (following *Beauty and the Beast*), the fifth film released by Universal Pictures (after *Jurassic Park*, *Furious 8*, *Jurassic World*, and *Minions*) and the thirtieth film overall in cinematic history to gross over $1 billion.[65][66] It is currently the third-highest-grossing film of the year, behind *Star Wars: The Last Jedi*, and *Beauty and the Beast*,[67] the second-biggest action film that is not a fantasy or superhero movie, behind *Furious 8*,[68] and is Universal's highest-grossing live-action release since *Jurassic World* back in June 2015.[69]

#### North America

Like many of its predecessors, *The Fate of the Furious* was released in the United States and Canada in the month of April, and like its immediate predecessor, occupied the lucrative Easter week holiday period slot, where it was expected to open with $100–125 million. It received the widest pre-summer release ever, at an estimated 4,304 venues, besting the 4,242 opening theater count of *Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice* the previous March.[62][70][71][72] The film made $10.4 million from Thursday night previews from 3,310 theaters, the second-highest of the franchise behind *Furious 8*Template:'s $15.8 million.[73] On its opening day it grossed $45.6 million, with Thursday previews making up 22.8% of the amount, slightly better than the 23% for *Furious 8*.[74] Earning a total of $98.8 million on its opening weekend, the film scored the second-biggest opening in the franchise (the third biggest adjusted for inflation) and the third-biggest April debut, behind *Furious 8* and *The Jungle Book*. It posted an almost identical weekend multiplier like its immediate predecessor (2.166x vs 2.18x).[75][76] However, this is not surprising considering how both films opened over Good Friday/Easter Sunday stretch. Scott Mendelson of *Forbes* magazine compared the opening to how *Spectre* (2015) opening fell from *Skyfall* (2012). One notable record the film set was the best opening for a film with an African American director, with Gray besting his own record set with *Straight Outta Compton* in 2015.[77]

Sticking to the franchise's famous and lauded habit of including a multi-ethnic cast of characters, the film played to audiences of all ethnicities. Domestically, Caucasians made up 41 percent of the audience, followed by Hispanics (26 percent), African-Americans (21 percent), Asians (11 percent), and Native American/Other (3 percent), according to comScore's exit polling service PostTrack. The pic skewed male at 58 percent, far more than the last film at 51 percent.[78][79] 2D ticketbuyers represented 57% of the film's opening compared to its predecessor's 71%. This means more die-hard moviegoers came out to watch the eighth installment rather than people who do not typically go to the movies.[73]

While *The Fate of the Furious*Template:'s debut is 34% less than its predecessor's opening,[73] critics have noted that the debut is still considered a massive success and not a big let down given how it is the eighth installment in an action franchise. Universal Pictures was well aware that the robust debut of *Furious 8* could not be duplicated[76] due to the wave of good reviews and publicity over the death of star Paul Walker, as well as the notion that the installment was both a farewell to said actor and a kind of coronation for the franchise as a whole. Nevertheless, the film benefited from Easter holiday business with 74% of all K-12 schools off on Good Friday as well as a third of the nation's colleges.[73] The film comes out in the wake of its parent franchise celebrating 16 years of availability in cinemas. To wit, few film franchises which are close to 20 years old have demonstrated a box office ability to increase their openings with each installment over time or maintain them in close proximity in terms of debut numbers; *James Bond* film series, *Batman* film series, *Jurassic Park* franchise, and *Star Wars* franchise.[73]

Its hefty opening was followed by the second-biggest April Monday gross ever with $8.5 million, behind the seventh installment. Its Sunday to Monday drop was 60% compared to its prequel's 57% drop which is far better than the Monday dropped witnessed by other April releases; *The Jungle Book* (-76%) and *Captain America: The Winter Soldier* (-73%), albeit without the advantage of a school holiday.[80][81] Despite the entry of four new wide releases, critics and box office prognosticators kept a close watch on how much the film would drop in its second weekend.[82] The film fell precipitously on its second Friday earning $11.17 million for a 76% drop which is the biggest in the franchise's history, besting the 72% drops for both its two immediate predecessors. The steep decline maybe attributed not because of the onslaught of competitions, but rather due to the polarised reception received by the film and due to just 12% K-12 schools beings off compared to 74% on Good Friday.[83] It kept its hold at No. 1, albeit dropping about 61% in its sophomore frame for an estimated $38.4 million. That domestic drop is right in line with the 59-63% drops of the six previous installment in the franchise’s on their second weekend out.[84] It topped the box office for three straight weekends, witnessing similar weekend-to-weekend percentage drops like its prequel, albeit earning lesser in terms of numbers.[85]

#### Outside North America

Internationally, *The Fate of the Furious* secured a release in 69 countries.[86] The film was projected to post an opening between $275–330 million from over 20,000 screens, with some analysts believing it could go as high as $350–400 million.[62][86][87] It opened Wednesday, April 12, 2017, in 8 countries, earning $17.9 million (including previews from 12 countries).[86] It opened in 33 more countries on Thursday, April 2, for a total of 41 countries, earning $58.4 million, marking Universal Pictures overseas' highest-grossing Thursday ever, and for a two-day total of $82.2 million.[86] It added 22 more countries on Friday, April 3, earning $112.1 million to score Universal International's highest-grossing Friday of all time, for a three-day total of $194.8 million. The robust Friday take helped Universal push past $1 billion internationally in 2017 which is the second-quickest ever and the studio's eleventh consecutive year overall the pass the mark. Moreover, on the same day, the franchise crossed the $4 billion milestone.[86] In total, through Sunday, the film registered an opening of $441.1 million from 64 markets, setting new records for the biggest April international debut, Universal's biggest, and the biggest of all time overall (ahead of *Jurassic World*)—It is the first such film to open past $400 million in a single weekend with a bulk of it coming from China. Around $22.6 million came from (681) IMAX screens which is Universal's second-biggest behind only *Jurassic World*.[64] It topped the international charts for a second consecutive term, adding another $158.1 million[88] after which it was surpassed by *Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2*, another film starring Diesel and Russell, in its third weekend.[89] In IMAX, the film has grossed north of $58 million.[89] On May 28, the film officially passed the $1 billion threshold to become the second film in the franchise, following *Furious 7*, and the sixth film to pass the said mark.[90][91]

It set the record for the biggest opening day of 2017 in every territory it has been released at, the biggest opening day of all time in 16 markets, Universal's biggest opening day ever in 22 territories and the biggest opening in the franchise in 38 markets. Moreover, it recorded the biggest paid previews of all time in Malaysia, Singapore, Venezuela, and Vietnam.[86] In terms of opening weekend, the film debuted at No. 1 in all markets where it set the biggest opening weekend of all time in 20 markets; Universal's biggest opening weekend ever in 28 markets; and the biggest opening in the franchise in 40 markets.[64][88][92] The top openings were recorded in China ($192 million), Mexico ($17.7 million), the UK and Ireland ($17.5 million), Russia ($14.2 million), Germany ($13.6 million), Brazil ($12.8 million), India ($10.7 million), Korea ($10.6 million), Middle East combined ($9.9 million), Taiwan ($9.3 million), France ($9.2 million), Australia ($9.5 million), Argentina ($9 million), Indonesia ($8.5 million), Italy ($6.7 million), Malaysia ($6.3 million), Spain ($6.1 million), Colombia ($4.9 million), Thailand ($4.9 million), Panama ($4.8 million),[64] and Romania ($1.7 million).[93] Comparing market-to-market performance, *Furious 8* had an opening worth $250 million without China and Russia while *The Fate of the Furious* delivered $228.2 million debut, sans the two aforementioned markets.[64] In Japan, the film debuted with $7.5 million. Although that's a new record for the franchise, the film debuted at number three behind Disney's *Beauty and the Beast*and local film *Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter*—their robust second weekend earnings blocked the former from taking the top spot, making Japan one of the few markets where the film didn't open at No. 1.[89][94]

Expectations were high for the film's performance in China, as its predecessor set notable records and went on to become the biggest film release there (now the biggest Hollywood release). The film was rebranded in Chinese as *The Fast and the Furious 8* to make clear its connection to *Furious 7*. After ticket sales began on April 2, the film pre-sold more than RMB 125 million ($18.1 million) worth of tickets before its release, breaking the previous record held by local film *Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons* three months prior. Moreover, it also set a record for the fastest IMAX advance sales, with RMB 16.5 million ($2.4 million), breaking the previous record held by *Captain America: Civil War*, according to leading local movie site Mtime.[62][95][96] In total, it pre-sold around $43.5 million tickets two hours before previews began, the biggest ever in the country.[86] It earned a record-breaking RMB 59.8 million ($8.7 million) from Thursday paid previews ($8 million excluding online ticketing surcharges which now count as grosses), breaking its predecessor's former record of RMB 52.5 million ($8.5 million in 2015; $7.6 million in 2017 exchange rates).[97][98] On Friday, the film was screened in approximately 158,000 screens, a new record for any film, breaking *Warcraft*Template:'s former 122,000 screen counts, and almost double the estimated 80,700 screen count of its predecessor.[99] By Friday noon, it had already grossed $30 million.[100] Buoyed by positive word-of-mouth—9.4/10 user rating on mobile ticketing platform Maoyan, and 7.4/10 from reviews aggregator Douban—and effective marketing campaign, it set a new record for the biggest single-day ever at the Chinese box office, including previews. This was achieved at 7 p.m. local time.[98] In total, the film grossed an estimated RMB 452.8 million ($65.8 million) on its opening day, inclusive of previews and online ticketing surcharges, compared to the RMB 398 million ($57.8 million) posted by its predecessor. It is the first film in Chinese history to register above RMB 400 million ($58 million) in a single day.[101][86] Earning a total of RMB 1.323 billion ($192.2 million), according to Chinese sources and RMB 190 million, according to Universal, in its debut weekend, it set a new milestone for three-day opening weekend and overall the second-best debut ever behind only local pic *The Mermaid*, which had the benefit of four days of previews over the New Year period in February 2016. An estimated $14 million came from 395 IMAX screens, the second-biggest-ever in the country, behind *Warcraft*.[64] Its three-day debut alone made it the biggest Hollywood release of 2017 and the third-biggest overall. Factoring out online ticketing surcharges, the total comes to a slightly less-hefty RMB 1.245 billion ($182.2 million).[102] In just nine days, the film passed the historic RMB 2 billion ($300 million) and thereby became the biggest release of the year.[103] The film fell precipitously by 71.4% in its second weekend (from its $190 million debut), earning RMB 374 million ($54.3 million) for a massive 10-day total of RMB 2.19 billion ($318 million).[104][105] On April 30, it became the biggest Hollywood/foreign release of all time with RMB 2.44 billion, surpassing its prequels former record of 2.41 billion. However, in terms of US currency, *The Fate of the Furious* ($381 million) is still behind *Furious 8* ($391 million).[89][106] After three consecutive weeks of topping the charts, it slipped to fourth place after being dethroned by *Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2* from the top spot.[107] It has so far grossed a total of RMB 2.671 billion ($392.8 million) and is the country's second-biggest grosser ever, behind only *The Mermaid* at the time of its release.[69]

In India, the film secured a release across approximately 1,600–1,800 screens (1,000–1,200 screens fewer than its predecessor). Like other Hollywood releases, it was released in both 2K projections and normal projections, and dubbed in local languages such as Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. It is the first international film to be dubbed into the Kannada language. Despite clashing with local pic *Begum Jaan*, analysts believe the two films will not affect each other's performance, as they appeal to distinct moviegoers.[108][109][110] Universal had high hopes in the territory, after *Furious 8* grossed an unprecedented $24.9 million in 2015, and became the biggest foreign release ever in the country at the time of its release (now the second biggest). The Central Board of Film Certification gave the film a UA rating (parental guidance suggested for children under 12), rather than an A for adults, after the studio agreed to cut several profanities (CBFC was willing to pass the film with an A certificate with no cuts but Universal wanted a UA certificate leading to the board censoring all profanities with few cuts).[111] It earned around ₹8.50 crore (US$1.2 million) net from Wednesday paid previews.[112] The following day it grossed ₹22.50 crore (US$3.1 million), including previews.[113] On its official opening day, it grossed ₹16.10 crore (US$2.2 million) for a three-day total of ₹38.60 crore (US$5.4 million).[114] Earning a total of $10.7 million, it set a new record for the biggest-ever foreign opening in the country, toppling its prequel's former record. As such, it is the first foreign film to open north of $10 million.[86][115] Following its record breaking opening, it fell about 58% on its second weekend excluding previews, earning another $4 million for a two-weekend total of over $17.4 million,[116] With over $19.2 million it is currently the biggest foreign release of the year.[117] However, in terms of net earnings—which is the base for box office calculations in India—the film was unable to break past the ₹100 crore (US$14 million) mark, stalling at around ₹85.59 crore (US$12 million). Despite a record breaking opening, it lost significant amount of screen counts and audiences thereafter, partly due to the release of *Baahubali: The Conclusion*.[118]

The biggest-earning markets are China ($392.8 million), followed by Brazil ($41.8 million), the UK and Ireland ($37.5 million), Mexico ($36.8 million) and Germany ($32.4 million).[119] In Peru, it has become Universal's highest-grossing film ever.[120] With over $1 billion in international receipts and representing a boffo 82% of the film's total worldwide gross, it is currently the seventh-biggest overseas earner behind *Avatar*, *Titanic*, *Furious 8*, *Star Wars: The Force Awakens*, and *Jurassic World*.

### Critical response

*The Fate of the Furious* received mixed reviews.[122][123][124] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 66% based on 259 reviews, and an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "*The Fate of the Furious* opens a new chapter in the franchise, fueled by the same infectious cast chemistry and over-the-top action fans have come to expect."[125] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a weighted average score 56 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[126] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale,[127] while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 81% overall positive score and a 71% "definite recommend."[73]

Mike Ryan of *Uproxx* gave the film a positive review, writing: "This isn't my favorite of the series – that's still *Furious 8* (it's hard to top those jumps from skyscraper to skyscraper, but this is a worthy entry). These movies know what they are. These movies know they are fun. These are fun movies!"[128] Owen Gleiberman of *Variety*, in his positive review of the film, wrote: "Most franchises, after eight films, are feeling a twinge of exhaustion, but this one has achieved a level of success—and perpetual kinetic creative energy—that's a testament to its commercial/cultural/demographic resonance." He also wrote, "If this series, over the last 16 years, has taught us anything, it's that just when you think it's about to run out of gas, it gets outfitted with an even more elaborate fuel-injection system."[129]

Conversely, David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a C− and called it the worst entry of the franchise, saying: "As much a mess of conflicting tones and styles as it is of locations, this setpiece—like the rest of Gray's movie—feels like a heap of random parts that were thrown together in the hopes that fate might somehow weld them into a roadworthy vehicle. But it's not all groundbreaking."[130] J.R. Kinnard of *PopMatters* magazine gave a lukewarm review, writing: "It's unlikely that devotees will consider *The Fate of the Furious* one of the stronger entries in the series. Still, the filmmakers and actors are clearly dedicated to making a quality product, avoiding the complacency that often plagues action sequels."[131] Richard Roeper of the *Chicago Sun-Times* gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, saying: "Moments after Dom has gone rogue and apparently wants to kill them, they're making jokes. As they're racing through the streets of New York City or skidding along the ice in Russia, killing bad guys and narrowly avoiding getting killed themselves, they're crackin' wise. Even within this ludicrous universe, it's jarring to hear these supposedly smart folks, who refer to themselves as 'family,' acting like idiots who don't seem to care if they live or die, or if their friends survive."[132]

Professor of international political economy Richard E. Feinberg has commented on the political significance of the film's opening setting of Havana in the context of shifting US-Cuban relations, calling the eighth installment, "Hollywood's love letter to Havana".[133] He writes, "In the Cuban sequence's dramatic climax, Dom wins his hard-fought one-mile race ("a Cuban mile") against a tough local competitor, by a nose. The loser is gracious: 'You won my car and you earned my respect,' he admits to the FF hero. Dom's response is equally magnanimous: 'Keep your car, your respect is good enough for me.' In this instance, FF8 captures the essence of the relations between the United States and Cuba: it's all about mutual respect."

## Sequel

On February 3, 2016, Universal Pictures set initial release dates for the two remaining films in the franchise. The first, tentatively titled *Fast & Furious 9*, is scheduled to be released on May 22, 2020. The second, still unnamed, is set to release in 2021. Meanwhile, a spin-off film, *Hobbs & Shaw*, starring Johnson and Statham's characters is scheduled for release in August 2019.