'Fast Five' Earns $3.7 Million at Midnight Opening

Universal’s Fast Five grossed $3.7 million in Thursday midnight runs at the domestic box office, the best ever for a Universal title and the biggest for the action franchise. It's expected to deliver the year's biggest opening.

Overseas, the action pic grossed $7.6 million on Thursday as it moved into five more territories, bringing its foreign cume to $43.7 million and worldwide total to $47.4 million.

In the U.S., there were midnight shows of Fast Five in 1,104 locations. Today, the pic moves into a total of 3,643 locations.

Fast Five’s $3.7 million midnight total was nearly double the $1.8 million earned by Fast & Furious, the last title in the franchise.

Overseas—where Fast Five began rolling out last weekend--the pic remains No. 1 in every territory it’s playing in, including Germany, Russia and the U.K., where it’s going head-to-head with Paramount and Marvel Studios’ Thor in several markets.

Fast Five was well ahead of Thor in Germany, opening to $2.2 million on Thursday to command 40% of the market and score the best opening day of the year. Thor grossed $1.2 million in its opening day in Germany. In Russia, Fast Five opened to $2.4 million; Thor, $1 million.

The race was much closer in the U.K. between the two films.