The latest installment of the "Fast & Furious" franchise, "Fast Five", left its competition in the dust over the weekend, taking the box office with a monster $83.6 million debut.
The number was more than enough to grab the #1 spot, earned the film this year's biggest opening. Its take was more than double the previous best of $39.2 million for "Rio," the animated hit that slipped to #2 with $14.4 million in its third weekend.
"Fast Five" set a record for best April debut ever, reports the Associated Press, passing the $71 million haul of its predecessor, "Fast & Furious," from two years ago.
The film, centered around the world of street racing, see stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker returning as outlaw driving aces, adding Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a federal agent on their tail. This time, the film is based in South America.
"Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family" slipped to #3 in its second weekend, taking in $10 million; while the Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson circus romance, "Water for Elephants", fell to #4 with $9.1 million.
The weekend's other new wide releases tanked. Disney's teen romance, "Prom", debuted at #5 with only $5 million; while the Weinstein Co. animated sequel, "Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil", opened at #6 with just $4.1 million.
Freestyle Releasing's horror comedy "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night," featuring "Superman Returns" star Brandon Routh, debuted far outside the top-10, at #16, with just $885,000.
According to the AP, overall revenues totaled $155 million, up a whopping 52 percent from the same weekend last year, when "A Nightmare on Elm Street" was No. 1 with $32.9 million.
That's a wrap for this weekend. Next weekend, look out for comedy "Jumping the Broom," the romantic comedy "Something Borrowed," and the action/adventure "Thor."
This weekend's top 10 is as follows:
1 - "Fast Five," $83.6 million.
2 - "Rio," $14.4 million.
3 - "Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family," $10.1 million.
4 - "Water for Elephants," $9.1 million.
5 - "Prom," $5 million.
6 - "Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil," $4.1 million.
7 - "Soul Surfer," $3.3 million.
8 - "Insidious," $2.7 million.
9 - "Hop," $2.6 million.
10 - "Source Code," $2.5 million.
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