Fast and Furious 6, the latest moving in the action-driving franchise starring Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel, raced towards a quite incredible $122 million Memorial Day debut to leave The Hangover III in its wake. It was Universal's biggest domestic opening of all time and pushed the film's worldwide total north of $280 million. The studio's previous best was Jurassic Park: The Lost World, which debuted to $90.2 million in 1997, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Many had questioned Universal's decision to open Fast 6 alongside Hangover III - the final instalment in Todd Phillip's comedy franchise - though it was the action movie that raced to victory. "This isn't just a car racing movie anymore. It's an action pic with broad appeal," said Universal president of domestic distribution Nikki Rocco, "And it played to a tremendously diverse audience." The movie benefitted from a strong Hispanic audience, which made up 32 per cent of those who saw the film. 

Watch the Fast and Furious 6 Trailer!

Hangover III took around $53 million for the four-day weekend and around $64 million for the five day stretch (the movie opened on Thursday). It was a dismal showing compared to the $135 million that The Hangover Part III took in 2011 and confirmation that the franchise has truly reached the end of the road. 

Elsewhere, Fox's animated movie Epic took $44 million while Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby jumped towards the $200 million mark at the worldwide box office.

Dwayne JohnsonZach Galifianakis
Dwayne Johnson [L] Is Establishing Himself As One Of The Most Bankable Action Stars Around, While Zach Galifianakis [R] Will Have Been Disappointed With The Hangover III's Poor Showing At The Box Office