Box office continues to soar in 2009

Universal Pictures' new film "Fast & Furious" stormed ahead of the Hollywood pack this weekend, reaching No. 1 in the box-office after earning $72.5 million in its opening weekend, according to The New York Times.

The film, the fourth in the popular Fast and the Furious franchise, hit theaters nearly three years after its predecessor, 2006's The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. It was the first to include all four original stars – Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster – since the franchise's debut in 2001.

According to Time, the $72.5 million represents not just the biggest opening of any film in 2009, but also of any April movie opening in history by more than $30 million. The previous record holder? 2003's Anger Management, with $42 million. Entertainment Weekly reports that the figure also breaks the record for best Universal Pictures opening ever – by some $400,000 over 1997's The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

Last week's top finisher, Monsters Vs. Aliens took in $33.5 million – a 44 percent drop from last week's total, but still good enough for the No. 2 spot, according to Entertainment Weekly. The rest of the top five struggled somewhat; The Haunting in Connecticut took third place with just $9.6 million, Knowing landed in fourth with $8.1 million and I Love You, Man was fifth, with $7.9 million.

The weekend's other high profile debut, Greg Mottola's summer comedy Adventureland, came in sixth, with just over $6 million.

In all, the box office receipt represented a 68 percent increase from the same week a year ago. And according to The New York Times, the total ticket sales receipt for 2009 has reached $2.73 billion – up 15 percent from last year. Audience attendance is also up 13 percent.