The much awaited "Furious 7" action-thriller has raced to the top of the domestic box office in the US, picking up a massive $143.6 million in its opening weekend.Blowing away the record of $95 million by “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, the film stands as the highest-grossing opening for any of the “Fast and Furious” franchise. “Furious 7" also ranks ninth among the top 10 openings in history, reports variety.com.Much as “The Dark Knight” turned into a memorial for Heath Ledger, audiences flocked to see star Paul Walker in one of his final roles.
Walker died in a 2013 car crash at the age of 40, and his work on the film was completed using digital technology and a series of stand-ins.“This is a bittersweet installment in the franchise (Walker’s) passing made this movie more intriguing for people who hadn’t seen some of the installments. It raised awareness and its success is a tribute to him,” said Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com.Internationally, “Furious 7" was screened across 10,500 screens in 63 territories, earning $240.4 million.The film stars Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham and Indian actor Ali Fazal.