Story perspectives

“The Furious” Scores 97% Critics, Tops China Box Office

6/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Furious received 97% critics and 95% audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes for its U.S. opening weekend.
Director Kenji Tanigaki crafted fight scenes around the cast’s martial-arts expertise and rehearsed them with the cinematographer for months.
The film led China’s June 12-14 box office, opened in the U.S. with $2.75 million, and China’s overall weekend revenue was $28.8 million.
Lionsgate said the title will be profitable and reflects its commitment to theatrical films.

History

Historical Context

In 2000 Ang Lee’s wuxia film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon grossed $213.5 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing foreign-language movie in the United States, proving that quality martial-arts cinema could thrive in both Hollywood and China. That success inspired studios such as Lionsgate to back Kenji Tanigaki’s 2024 release The Furious, which opened with $2.75 million in the U.S. and earned a 97 percent critic score, confirming profitability of dual-market releases.

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Story summary

The Furious received 97% critics and 95% audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes for its U.S. opening weekend.
Director Kenji Tanigaki crafted fight scenes around the cast’s martial-arts expertise and rehearsed them with the cinematographer for months.
The film led China’s June 12-14 box office, opened in the U.S. with $2.75 million, and China’s overall weekend revenue was $28.8 million.
Lionsgate said the title will be profitable and reflects its commitment to theatrical films.

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