Furious 7 destroys records with $143.6m debut

Los Angeles - Furious 7 raced to the top of the domestic box office, picking up a massive $143.6m in its opening weekend.

That establishes a new high-water mark for the month of April, blowing past the $95m debut of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as well as marks the highest grossing kick-off for any film in the Fast and Furious franchise. It also ranks ninth among the top ten openings in history.

Audiences flocked to see star Paul Walker in one of his final roles. The actor died in a 2013 car crash at the age of 40 and his work on the film was completed by using digital technology and a series of stand-ins.