Mega hit ‘Furious 7’ finishes weekend above estimates

LOS ANGELES — “Furious 7” sped to the top of the charts in its opening weekend with an eye-popping $147.2 million from 4,004 locations, box office firm Rentrak reported Monday.

Fueled by a growing fan base and intense interest in the late star Paul Walker, who died before the film was completed, “Furious 7” annihilated both “Fast & Furious” and April box office records in its debut.

The latest installment in Universal’s homegrown franchise also solidified its place as the ninth biggest opening of all time, right behind “Spider-Man 3’s” $151 million bow in 2007.

The film, which was delayed from its original July 2014 release date following Walker’s death in November 2013, could be the first in the series to hit $1 billion.

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The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Rentrak:

1. “Furious 7,” Universal, $147,187,040, 4,004 locations, $36,760 average, $147,187,040, 1 week.

2. “Home,” 20th Century Fox, $27,011,303, 3,801 locations, $7,106 average, $95,241,397, 2 weeks.

3. “Get Hard,” Warner Bros., $13,128,219, 3,212 locations, $4,087 average, $57,215,636, 2 weeks.

4. “Cinderella,” Disney, $10,178,750, 3,404 locations, $2,990 average, $167,139,868, 4 weeks.

5. “The Divergent Series: Insurgent,” Lionsgate, $10,126,715, 3,442 locations, $2,942 average, $103,511,529, 3 weeks.

6. “It Follows,” Radius-TWC, $2,513,459, 1,655 locations, $1,519 average, $8,589,144, 4 weeks.

7. “Woman In Gold,” The Weinstein Company, $2,091,551, 258 locations, $8,107 average, $2,187,302, 1 week.

8. “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” 20th Century Fox, $1,808,652, 1,327 locations, $1,363 average, $122,366,182, 8 weeks.

9. “Do You Believe?,” Pure Flix, $1,544,423, 1,218 locations, $1,268 average, $9,855,236, 3 weeks.

10. “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” Fox Searchlight, $1,079,747, 1,060 locations, $1,019 average, $30,140,329, 5 weeks.

11. “Run All Night,” Warner Bros., $635,146, 1,015 locations, $626 average, $25,298,235, 4 weeks.

12. “American Sniper,” Warner Bros., $628,060, 623 locations, $1,008 average, $346,386,489, 15 weeks.

13. “McFarland, USA,” Disney, $618,631, 703 locations, $880 average, $41,774,129, 7 weeks.

14. “While We’re Young,” A24 Films, $483,688, 34 locations, $14,226 average, $789,041, 2 weeks.

15. “Focus,” Warner Bros., $448,150, 625 locations, $717 average, $52,824,772, 6 weeks.

16. “The Gunman,” Open Road, $385,194, 1,027 locations, $375 average, $10,089,669, 3 weeks.

17. “Danny Collins,” Bleecker Street, $347,815, 83 locations, $4,191 average, $735,393, 3 weeks.

18. “Detective Byomkesh Bakshi,” Yash Raj Films, $338,637, 82 locations, $4,130 average, $338,637, 1 week.

19. “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water,” Paramount, $253,506, 482 locations, $526 average, $160,839,111, 9 weeks.

20. “Fifty Shades Of Grey,” Universal, $245,890, 375 locations, $656 average, $165,463,125, 8 weeks.