‘Fate’ to top box office as Hollywood awaits ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’

How ‘Fast,’ how ‘Furious’

“The Fate of the Furious” grossed $98.8 million in the U.S. and Canada last weekend, which is certainly a big haul, though down significantly from 2015’s “Furious 7.” That acclaimed film notched $147 million in its first three days, partly because of its emotional sendoff for star Paul Walker, who died in a car accident in 2013 in Valencia.

Yet “Fate” blew away all reasonable expectations in foreign countries by grossing $433 million internationally. That included $192 million in China, the biggest opening ever for a Hollywood movie in that country and the second-biggest debut of any movie there, behind local hit “The Mermaid.” The combined ticket sales pushed “Fate” past "Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to secure the biggest global opening ever ($532 million), showcasing the power of worldwide audiences.

There’s no doubt that the movie will continue to rule the charts, with analysts expecting a domestic gross of $45 million to $50 million in the U.S. and Canada Friday through Sunday. The continued strength of the foreign grosses should bode well for the future of the series, which boasts an ensemble cast including Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Michelle Rodriguez.

“This feels like it’s sailing toward $1 billion,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore. “It’ll be interesting to see how it does in the international territories, where it’s done four times its North American box office.”

Ill-fated ‘Promise?’

Audiences have waited for years for a major film to directly address the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire starting in 1915. The question is whether the new film “The Promise,” starring Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale, can deliver on the high hopes. Finishing the film, which cost at least $90 million to make, was the dream of billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, who died in 2015.

The movie’s subject matter, brought to the big screen by “Hotel Rwanda” director Terry George, has generated much anticipation among people of Armenian descent and has earned the promotional support of celebrities including Kim Kardashian. (The Turkish government has long denied that there was any official policy of ethnic cleansing.)

But the sprawling, star-studded historical epic doesn’t appear to be generating widespread interest among moviegoers. The film is poised to open with $5 million in its first three days in theaters in the United States. Open Road is handling distribution. Despite its cast of high-profile actors — which was a priority for Kerkorian — the film has earned middling reviews from film critics, according to Rotten Tomatoes.