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Captain America: The Winter Soldier Sees April Record Smoked By Furious 7

By Nick Tylwalk

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier set a new all-time record for any movie opening in April when it racked up $95 million in its opening weekend in 2014. As it turns out, it didn’t even get to enjoy that record for an entire year before it was easily brushed aside.

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Maybe I should say that another movie zipped by it, considering the film we’re talking about. The box office estimates have Furious 7 raking in an eye-popping $134.6 million in domestic box office receipts after opening on Friday, which beats The Winter Soldier‘s mark by 42 percent.

What does it mean? For starters, it puts the Fast & Furious series right up there with Marvel’s franchises in terms of box office marketability, which is great for Universal since it is one of the major movie studios that doesn’t have super heroes to help it create tentpole brands. There’s no doubt that the movies won’t quite be the same without the late Paul Walker, but would you bet against the next one still making a lot of money without him? I wouldn’t.

The rampant success of Furious 7 also continues another trend that I think super hero flicks really helped get off the ground, which is the idea that wanna-be blockbusters don’t have to open during the traditional summer or holiday release windows to make a ton of money. Both Disney and Warner Bros. are starting to explore this idea with release dates that are all over the map over the next five years, and it should continue. To name one example, I believe you could release Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice during any month and it would have a huge opening.

So well-played, Furious 7. The Winter Soldier would no doubt tip his cap to you, fi he wasn’t busy rediscovering who he really is.

(Box office data via Box Office Mojo)

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