'Fast 6' drives record-breaking box-office haul

LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Fast & Furious 6" raced to the top of a record-breaking weekend at North American movie theaters, and the sixth installment in the street-racing franchise also delivered a turbo-charged performance overseas.

The film debuted atop the holiday weekend box office, collecting $117 million domestically and $158 million internationally — the biggest opening yet for a Universal Pictures release.

Ticket tallies over the four-day weekend also set a Memorial Day record with $314.2 million.

"This just obliterated the 2011 record, which was $276.75 million," said box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com.

More than a third of the take belonged to "Fast & Furious 6" which stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Dwayne Johnson, along with an international supporting cast. The film follows the muscle-car crew as they join with police in a worldwide hunt for a terrorist, battling a plane and a tank along the way.

"It's amazing how this franchise was considered all but dead after the third film, but the filmmakers and the studio did a great job of convincing the original cast members to come back, giving it a different feel and really expanding its scope," said Dave Karger, chief correspondent for movie site Fandango.com.

The film's international cast and settings also contributed to its appeal.

Nikki Rocco, Universal's head of distribution, attributes the success of "Fast 6" to its broadened scope.

"It's so much more than what it was," she said. "You have to give credit to all of us and the filmmakers for taking it to the next level."

Though a proven box-office winner, with its six films cumulatively collecting $1.9 billion so far, the "Fast & Furious" series hasn't quite reached the level of other powerhouse action franchises such as "Harry Potter," "Transformers" and "Iron Man." The five Potter films have earned $7.7 billion worldwide. The three Transformers films have a worldwide gross of $2.67 billion. The third "Iron Man" film was released last month, and the franchise has claimed $2.36 billion worldwide so far.

Yet Karger notes the success of "Fast & Furious" is "pretty remarkable" considering the franchise was "kind of created out of thin air 12 years ago."

A recent Fandango survey shows that 93 percent of "Fast 6" ticket buyers are already anticipating the seventh installment, set to star Jason Statham.

1."Fast & Furious 6," Universal, $117,036,995, 3,658 locations, $26,620 average, $117,036,995, one week.

2."The Hangover Part III," Warner Bros., $50,262,366, 3,555 locations, $11,722 average, $62,051,829, one week.

3."Star Trek: Into Darkness," Paramount, $47,187,313, 3,907 locations, $9,545 average, $83,701,981, two weeks.

4."Epic," Fox, $42,820,971, 3,882 locations, $8,638 average, $42,820,971, one week.

5."Iron Man 3," Disney, $24,693,407, 3,424 locations, $5,644 average, $337,661,977, four weeks.

7."Mud," Roadside Attractions, $2,508,660, 712 locations, $2,727 average, $11,656,971, five weeks.

8."42," Warner Bros., $1,709,316, 915 locations, $1,376 average, $88,816,627, seven weeks.

9."The Croods," Fox $1,634,258, 1,008 locations, $1,210 average, $177,024,785, 10 weeks.

10."Oblivion," Universal, $1,038,730, 572 locations, $1,521 average, $85,588,010, six weeks.

11."Oz the Great and Powerful," Disney, $853,079, 401 locations, $1,625 average, $231,351,161, 12 weeks.

13."Frances Ha," IFC, $684,211, 60 locations, $9,163 average, $137,398, two weeks.

14."G.I. Joe: Retaliation," Paramount, $548,675, 346 locations, $1,272 average, $120,522,043, nine weeks.

15."The Iceman," Millennium Entertainment, $479,120, 258 locations, $1,425 average, $762,885, four weeks.

16."Tyler Perry Presents: Peeples," Lionsgate, $419,911, 485 locations, $644 average, $7,867,757, three weeks.

17."Escape from Planet Earth," Weinstein Co., $336,059, 346 locations, $735 average, $55,612,398, 15 weeks.

19."The Big Wedding," Lionsgate, $282,842, 265 locations, $861 average, $20,308,188, five weeks.