As expected, Fast X knocked Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 from the top of the North American box office during its third weekend in theaters.
The threequel has still had an awesome few days, though, with an estimated $8.2 million on Friday for a likely $32.7 million haul for the three-day weekend. That's a drop of only -46%, putting it on par with 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (-47%).
Universal Pictures took all of the Marvel Studios movie's IMAX and PLF screens, so this hold just goes to show how much interest there still is in Vol. 3. Clearly, strong word of mouth and repeat viewings are driving up the numbers, and we're sure everyone involved is very happy with its current $267.2 million domestic haul.
We're still waiting on updated international numbers, but it should have easily passed $600 million by now.
As for Fast X, it opened with $67 million, just shy of F9: The Fast Saga's $70 million start. It's eyeing a $320 million global start, the third-highest debut for the long-running franchise. It probably won't crack $1 billion by the time all is said and done, but Fast & Furious movies remain a huge draw for many moviegoers even after mostly negative reviews for this instalment.
Fast X received a B+ CinemaScore and currently has 54% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Little Mermaid should splash down at #1 next weekend, with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse set to beat it the following week. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will then follow in what promises to be a very busy few weeks at the box office.
"As heart-wrenching as it is hilarious," we said in our review of the MCU movie earlier this month, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is James Gunn’s masterstroke and a showcase for both his filmmaking talent and a cast that makes everything about this movie simply awesome. An absolute triumph."
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Fast X are both now playing in theaters.