There was a time when people feared that video would kill the movie business. Well, just how wrong that prediction turned out to be was illustrated again last week, with all appearances that the global debut box office record would be broken by Fast and Furious 8 – the latest in what has been a hugely successful box office machine.

Starring Vin Diesel, and directed by F. Gary Grey, 'The Fate of the Furious' looks certain to surpass the $529 million which was generated by Star Wars: The Force Awakens, in its opening weekend. In the US, according to the industry bible Box Office Mojo, the film generated $100.2 million in the first week of its release. While that is far from being a record for the Fast and Furious franchise – its predecessor generated $140 million in the US in a comparable period – the clincher has been the film’s performance in China. where it has generated an astonishing $190 million in three days in cinemas. The Fate of the Furious was released in 60 markets and generated an estimated $17 million in the UK and Ireland.

Current predictions are that the box office are will hit more than $532 million.

Just how far that is ahead of its closest rival this week is well illustrated by the figures for the US market. There, the previous week’s No.1 performer The Boss Baby generated $15,540,000 through the week – not bad, but still in the halfpenny place beside Fast and Furious. The full Top 10 in the US this week, as listed on Box Offie Mojo (which is owned by IMDb) is as follows:

1 (-) The Fate of the Furious - $100,181,640

2 (1) The Boss Baby - $15,540,000
3 (2) Beauty and the Beast - $13,634,000
4 (3) Smurfs: The Lost Village - $6,500,000
5 (4) Going In Style - $6,350,000
6 (16) Gifted - $3,000,000
7 (8) Get Out - $2,917,865
8 (6) Power Rangers - $2,850,000
9 (10) The Case For Christ - $2,720,000
10 (7) Kong: Skull Island - $2,670,000

Fate of the Furious has a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based in 178 reviews, making it the fourth best-received of the series among critics. It has a running time of 136 minutes. Further episodes of Fast and Furious are planned for 2019 and 2021. And why not? It keeps Vin Diesel in petrol...