Fast and Furious 7 set to break box office records

The seventh instalment of the Fast and Furious franchise is set to break box office records as it opens in 10,500 theatres around the world, including Nigeria, on Friday April 3.

The movie is expected gross over $115 million in a three-day opening weekend in North America and over $250 million overseas. It is also projected to be the biggest opening so far in 2015 and some forecasts are calling the biggest opening of all time eclipsing the Avengers’ $207 million release in 2012.

Although critical reviews are mixed with mild enthusiasm, the emotional factor of the death of one the franchise’s leading actors Paul walker gives some support to those projections.

Paul Walker died in a car crash in November 2013 which halted filming and pushed back the original July 11 2014 release date. Reactions from fans of the Fast and Furious franchise around the world were widespread and heartfelt.

Production resumed in April 2014. The script had to be tweaked and some creative editing was applied with CGI and voice effects while Paul’s younger brothers Cody and Caleb were used as stand-ins.

Vin Diesel’s character Dominic Torreto and his fast crew are being hunted by Jason Statham’s character Deckard Shaw the older brother of the bad guy who was killed in Fast and Furious 6. This vendetta leaves massive destruction, high speed mayhem, epic combats and dear losses in its wake. Then added to the mix are Somalian mercenaries led by Djimon Hounsou as Jakande.

Fast 7 is expected to end with an emotional montage tribute to Paul. At the world premiere on Wednesday at the TCL Chinese centre in Hollywood, friend and lead co-actor Vin diesel spoke about his experience making the movie after the death of Paul.

“This movie is more than a movie,” Diesel said. “There’s something emotional that happens to you where you walk out of this movie, and you appreciate everyone you love because you just never know when the last day is that you’ll see them.”

“I’m going to tell you, last year it was really tough to come back to work,”

Moritz, who has produced all of the films in the franchise added his final remarks “I know Paul is smiling down on us right now,” he said to the crowd. “We love you forever, Paul. And you will always be a part of all of us.”

Fast Furious 7 will be showing at Cinemas across Nigeria.