DHAKA: In just 17 days, Furious 7 crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office Friday.

It's a new record for the fastest climb to the major milestone. (The Avengers, Avatar and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 crossed $1 billion in 19 days.) Plus, the film is the first Universal project to make it to the $1 billion mark in its original run. (1993's Jurassic Park reached $1.044 billion after the 3D rerelease in 2013.)

Furious 7, directed by James Wan and starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Jason Statham and Ludacris, has propelled the Fast & Furious series past $3 billion worldwide ($3.392 billion).

“What started as a small film about the street racing sub-culture of East Los Angeles has become a global phenomenon with Furious 7 shattering records in so many territories around the globe,” said Duncan Clark, president, international distribution. “We’re thrilled to celebrate this accomplishment with our colleagues and distribution partners throughout the world, who have made these extraordinary results possible.”

Furious 7 has earned an estimated $735.2 million overseas in 17 days and an estimated $273.7 million in North America after 15 days. The film could go as high as $1.3 million to $1.4 million by the end of its run.

"We're incredibly proud to watch Fast & Furious take its place as the only original live-action franchise to reach these kinds of results at the box office," said Nick Carpou, president of domestic distribution. "Our cast, filmmakers and all of our Universal and Fast family deserve credit for working so hard to make Furious 7 a huge success, and we look forward to continuing to watch the film grow over the next few weeks."

The film's other records include the second-biggest worldwide opening of all time ($397.2 million) behind only Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and the highest-grossing domestic ($147.2 million) and international ($250 million) openings in Universal history.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

BDST: 1104 HRS, APR 18, 2015
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