\u00ab\u00a0The Fate of the Furious\u00a0\u00bb throttled past $1 billion globally and took No. 1 at the box office for the third straight week on a weekend where multicultural offerings dominated North American theaters.<\/b>
\nA South India sensation, a Hispanic-focused comedy and the highest-grossing film ever directed by an African American made up the top three films in North America on a culturally diverse box office weekend.
As expected, it was another runaway weekend for \u00ab\u00a0The Fate of the Furious, \u00a0\u00bb which took No. 1 for the third straight week with $19.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Universal Pictures release also throttled past $1 billion globally, and passed its predecessor, \u00ab\u00a0Furious 7, \u00a0\u00bb to become the highest-grossing imported film in China with $361 million.
The \u00ab\u00a0Fast and the Furious\u00a0\u00bb franchise, the latest of which is helmed by F. Gary Gray, has always been held up as a model of the diverse blockbuster, given its cast led by Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson. But the smaller films that trailed it over the weekend also reflected the box-office might of often underserved audiences.
In second domestically with $12 million and drawing an overwhelmingly Hispanic crowd was Eugenio Derbez’s comedy, \u00ab\u00a0How to Be a Latin Lover.\u00a0\u00bb The film is easily the biggest success yet for Pantelion, the Latino-oriented joint venture of Lionsgate and Grupo Televisa.
\u00ab\u00a0How to Be a Latin Lover\u00a0\u00bb co-stars Salma Hayek, Rob Lowe and Kristen Bell. But its top draw is Derbez, whose \u00ab\u00a0Instructions Not Included\u00a0\u00bb was the highest-grossing Spanish-language film in North America in 2013. The audience for \u00ab\u00a0How to be a Latin Lover\u00a0\u00bb was 89 percent Hispanic.
In third was \u00ab\u00a0Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, \u00a0\u00bb a so-called Tollywood (Telugu language) film from South India, which pulled in a remarkable $10.1 million despite playing on just 420 screens. (\u00ab\u00a0The Fate of the Furious\u00a0\u00bb played on more than 4,000.)
\u00ab\u00a0Baahubali 2\u00a0\u00bb even bested a pair of Hollywood’s biggest stars in Emma Watson and Tom Hanks. Their terribly reviewed thriller \u00ab\u00a0The Circle, \u00a0\u00bb distributed by STX Films on behalf of EuropaCorp, opened with $9.3 million.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore, said such global weekends at the box office will become more common.
\u00ab\u00a0In what is a slow and would otherwise be unremarkable weekend, this is a really interesting lineup of films, \u00a0\u00bb said Dergarabedian. \u00ab\u00a0This is the final weekend before the summer season kicks off and the blockbusters hit theaters. But this weekend is marked by an incredible amount of multicultural content. It reflects the world that we’re living in.\u00a0\u00bb
\u00ab\u00a0Baahubali 2\u00a0\u00bb follows the 2015 original that set box-office records in India, a breakthrough for a non-Hindi film. The 2015 film grossed $9.3 million in the U. S. and more than $100 million worldwide. With $1.8 million on domestic IMAX screens, a record for a foreign language film on IMAX, \u00ab\u00a0Baahubali 2\u00a0\u00bb may break more records.
Its success isn’t surprising to everyone.
\u00ab\u00a0We were expecting exactly the numbers we’re seeing right now. We’re happy our expectations were right, \u00a0\u00bb said Soma Kancherla of the film’s North American distributor, Great India Films. \u00ab\u00a0I know for a few people they’re like, ‘Wow, ‘ but to break even, we needed to make that kind of money.\u00a0\u00bb
The summer movie season begins next week with \u00ab\u00a0Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.\u00a0\u00bb With the Marvel behemoth on deck, few new films were released in an otherwise quiet weekend.
Disney’s \u00ab\u00a0Guardians of the Galaxy\u00a0\u00bb sequel began its international rollout over the weekend, opening in 37 territories ahead of its North American debut. It earned an estimated $101.2 million, a promising start for what’s expected to be one of the summer’s biggest hits.
\u00ab\u00a0Guardians\u00a0\u00bb will likely be the third $1 billion movie in 2017, following \u00ab\u00a0Beauty and the Beast\u00a0\u00bb and \u00ab\u00a0The Fate of the Furious.\u00a0\u00bb Disney said \u00ab\u00a0Vol. 2\u00a0\u00bb is running 57 percent ahead of the pace of the original, which made $773.3 million in 2014.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U. S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers also are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. \u00ab\u00a0The Fate of the Furious, \u00a0\u00bb $19.4 million ($68.4 million international) .
2. \u00ab\u00a0How to Be a Latin Lover, \u00a0\u00bb $12 million.
3. \u00ab\u00a0Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, \u00a0\u00bb $10.1 million ($3.7 million international) .
4. \u00ab\u00a0The Circle, \u00a0\u00bb $9.3 million.
5. \u00ab\u00a0The Boss Baby, \u00a0\u00bb $9.1 million ($15.5 million international) .
6. \u00ab\u00a0Beauty and the Beast, \u00a0\u00bb $6.4 million ($17.2 million international) .
7. \u00ab\u00a0Going in Style, \u00a0\u00bb $3.6 million ($3 million international) .
8. \u00ab\u00a0Smurfs: The Lost Village, \u00a0\u00bb $3.3 million ($11.7 million international) .
9. \u00ab\u00a0Gifted, \u00a0\u00bb $3.3 million.
10. \u00ab\u00a0Unforgettable, \u00a0\u00bb $2.3 million.
___
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U. S. and Canada) , according to comScore:
1. \u00ab\u00a0Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, \u00a0\u00bb $101.2 million
2. \u00ab\u00a0The Fate of the Furious, \u00a0\u00bb $68.4 million.
3. \u00ab\u00a0Shock Wave, \u00a0\u00bb $24.2 million.
4. \u00ab\u00a0Battle of Memories, \u00a0\u00bb $21.8 million.
5. \u00ab\u00a0Beauty and the Beast, \u00a0\u00bb $17.2 million.
6. \u00ab\u00a0The Boss Baby, \u00a0\u00bb $15.5 million.
7. \u00ab\u00a0Love Off the Cuff, \u00a0\u00bb $13.7 million.
8. \u00ab\u00a0This Is Not What I Expected, \u00a0\u00bb $12.3 million.
9. \u00ab\u00a0Smurfs: The Lost Village, \u00a0\u00bb $11.7 million.
10. \u00ab\u00a0The Mayor, \u00a0\u00bb $5 million.<\/p>\n

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Similarity rank: 8.5<\/div>\n

Sentiment rank: 0.4<\/div>\n

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