'Fast & Furious' peels out to best-ever April start with $72.5M

By Paul Dergarabedian

"New Model, Original Parts": That tagline along with a great marketing strategy that emphasized the reunited original cast including Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster has resulted in "Fast & Furious" posting the best April opening ever, the best Friday gross ($30.5 million) in April and the biggest opening weekend of the year thus far.

With a massive $72.5 million debut that obliterates the old April debut record of $42.3 million set by "Anger Management" back in 2003, "Fast & Furious" proves that audiences are loyal to specific stars in specific roles and will line up in big numbers to see these actors portray their most beloved characters.

At number two with $33.5 million is "Monsters Vs. Aliens" which dropped a minimal 44% in its second weekend of release and is already at $105 million plus. The IMAX 3-D showings earned $3.1 million this weekend (down just 39% vs. last weekend) on just over 140 screens.

This is the highest second weekend for a 3-D title that IMAX has ever had. The film, which officially ushered in the new era of the 3-D movie by showing the tremendous positive effect the technology has on the box-office, was the talk of last week's ShoWest theatre exhibitor confab in Las Vegas.

In the third spot is "The Haunting in Connecticut" which debuted better than expected last weekend with over $23 million and with $9.5 million this weekend is now up to $37.2 million in profit-heavy box-office.

With a modest budget and a strong showing, the based-on-a-true-story horror film attests to the sustained popularity of the genre.

In fourth is Nicolas Cage's thriller "Knowing" which has now crossed the $50 million mark after adding another $6 million this weekend. Cage is another star who continues to prove his audience appeal after many years in the business. From a blink-and-you'll-miss-him role in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (where he is billed as Nicolas Coppola) to the Coen Brothers' comedy "Raising Arizona" to the action of "The Rock" and "Con Air," Cage in the late 2000s is as viable as ever.

Finally at number five is the buddy comedy bromance "I Love you, Man" starring comedy mainstay Paul Rudd and Jason Segal. With $7.85 million this weekend, the film is now closing in on the $50 million mark after three weekends in release and proves that Rudd is a comedy brand on which studios can rely.

Notably, Overture's "Sunshine Cleaning" expanded into 479 theaters as it jumped to a weekend gross of $1.879 million as it nears the $5 million mark.

Year-to-date revenues jumped to a 14.5% advantage over last year with this weekend's expected overall take estimated at $160 million, a whopping 67% increase over last year's comparable weekend!

Next weekend has the comedy, action and family audiences covered with Seth Rogen in "Observe and Report," "Dragonball Evolution" and "Hannah Montana: The Movie." It should be another great weekend at the box-office as we cha-ching our way toward the first-ever $10 billion year at the North American box-office.