'F9' Worldwide Box Office Numbers Show Hope For Film Industry in the U.S.

The end may be in sight for the struggles that the film industry has faced over the past 14 months since the start of the pandemic, IndieWire reports.

F9, the latest film in the Fast and Furious franchise, may be the saving grace at the box office. The film, from Universal, has already opened in some territories to a total of $162.4 million. $135 million of that came from China. The film is expected to open in the U.S. on June 25, 2021.

Additionally, next week will see the opening of "A Quiet Place Part II" (Paramount) and "Cruella" (Disney), which are expected to do well at the box office.

F9 (also known as Fast & Furious 9) is a 2021 American action-adventure thriller film directed by Justin Lin, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Daniel Casey. It is the sequel to The Fate of the Furious (2017), the ninth main installment, and the tenth full-length film released overall in the Fast & Furious franchise.

F9 stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Michael Rooker, Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell, and Charlize Theron.

F9 was originally scheduled for worldwide release in April 2019, but was delayed several times, first due to the releases of Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and No Time to Die (2021), and then the COVID-19 pandemic. It was released in Hong Kong and South Korea on May 19, 2021.

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