‘Fast’ Fatigue Settling in, ‘Fast X’ Projected for Weak $65 Million Opening

It was bound to happen.

There have been nine films released in the ‘Fast and the Furious’ franchise , they have amassed a total of $6.6 billion worldwide over the past two decades.

“Fast X,” the 10th instalment in the franchise, is not getting good early numbers, it’s currently set to have a weekend opening of $65 million. Weak. For comparison’s sake, “Furious 7” had a $147.2 million domestic opening.

Since Furious 7, the series has seen domestic openings decline by 52 percent to $70 million with F9‘s 2021 release.

Is it possible that mainstream moviegoers are starting to shrug off this franchise? Even worse, “Fast X” is said have had its budget skyrocket to $340 million. What kind of profit will it make? This isn’t even counting the marketing costs that will come into promoting the damn thing.

Vin Diesel and company are back for “Fast X” and I honestly couldn’t care less about it. There will be big guns, big muscles, big cars and, really, just big everything because this is America and it’s go big or go home. This tenth chapter will also, I’m just guessing here, end with a big family barbecue where the whole cast is gathered together as the camera slowly rises to the clouds.

This is also the most unusual movie to star four Oscar winners — Brie Larson, Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, and it sure as hell won’t result in acting-driven cinema.

Jason Momoa is the new villain in this tenth instalment of the never-ending franchise. He plays Dante, and who wants to bet Dante turns into a good guy by the end of the saga? It’s as inevitable as day turning to night.

The lure of the ‘Fast’ franchise has always been, well, fast cars, but give me “The French Connection,” “Death Proof,” “Drive,” “Bullit,” “Ronin,” or even “Baby Driver” over this any day of the week.

I’ve, painstakingly, seen the nine previous films and only moderately liked 2011’s “Fast Five,” the rest were as bland, overstylized and empty as Vin Diesel’s acting.