Seventy-Five Percent of the 'Furious 7' Audience Was Non-White

'Furious 7' set a franchise-best record this weekend by pulling in a diverse audience thanks to a truly diverse cast.

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Complex Original

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Fast & Furious had a record-breaking opening weekend at the box office, grossing a massive $385 million internationally. But that's not the only records the movie broke. Furious 7 set a franchise-best record this weekend by pulling in a diverse audience thanks to a truly diverse cast. Seventy-five percent of the North American audience for the movie was nonwhite, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Here's the cultural make-up of Furious 7 ticket-buyers:


  • Hispanics: 37%

  • Caucasians: 25%

  • African Americans: 24%

  • Asians: 10%

The movie set records for the biggest opening weekend of all time in 26 countries, including Mexico and Taiwan. The global filming locations probably didn't hurt the worldwide reception. The characters make stops in L.A., the Dominican Republic, Japan, Abu Dhabi and London.

Fast & Furious isn’t the first film to see success worldwide thanks to a diverse cast. Pacific Rim exceeded expectations internationally, having a record-breaking opening in China and is slated for a sequel, thanks to a cast that included Idris Elba and Rinko Kikuchi along with Charlie Hunnam.

Diverse audiences aren't just flocking to the movies. Empire, a Fox television drama that focuses on a black hip-hop mogul and his family,  surpassed 23 million viewers in it's finale, posting television's highest-rated freshman finale in a decade. Let's hope Hollywood keeps casting ethnic actors.

[via Time]

 

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