Universal’s “Fast X”— the tenth installment in one of the most successful and nostalgic film series, “Fast & Furious”— is on the way to its theatrical debut this Friday[1], and the makers have high expectations for it, both critically and commercially. Considering it is one of the most expensive films in industry history and the series’ legacy, the film must take a solid start. But is it capable of performing well for the makers and achieving a good start at the box office? The answer might be disappointing for the makers.
Fast X Box Office Prediction
Despite being a part of a well-established and successful series, the buzz surrounding the tenth installment is too disappointing, and there is no special impression on the audience regarding the film’s marketing and well-known cast, which indicates that the opening numbers for the film are not in favor of the makers. And industry experts predict a $60-70 million opening weekend for “Fast X” across 4200+ theaters in North America— that’s a disappointing start for one of the most expensive films in history. Moreover, according to some estimates, due to the stronghold of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”, “Fast X” may even open with fewer numbers than predicted.
According to industry sources, the production budget for “Fast X” is around $340 million before accounting for print and advertising costs (including COVID-related expenses). With such a substantial budget, it will be a significant challenge for the film to reach the break-even point. Simply put, the success or failure of the film now depends solely on overseas markets, which are showing promising signs. Overall, it is estimated that “Fast X” will end its box office run with $160-185 million domestically and $800+ million globally, including $500+ million from overseas markets— that’s a decent prediction for “Fast X”, but still going to be a commercial faliure.
Considering its massive budget and profit terms, these numbers are neither special nor successful. However, they are still enough to avoid losses for the makers. Nevertheless, distributors will certainly incur losses from the film, and distributcan only be expected that the losses will be minimized. Despite the poor buzz, the film’s predicted performance indicates that the audience is now only paying tribute to it. The makers should bid farewell to the series and refrain from spending such large sums of money on upcoming films in the series.
Universal has been very successful this year, but making a profit from “Fast X” is almost impossible as grossing $1 billion (the profit numbers after break-even) is no easy feat. Alternatively, as a wise production decision, there is hope that the makers will soon officially announce its last installment.