LOS ANGELES — “Fast Five” has left the competition in the dust with an $83.6 million debut to grab the No. 1 spot at the weekend box office, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Universal Pictures’ fifth movie in “The Fast and the Furious” franchise was by far this year’s biggest opening. Its take was more than double the previous best of $39.2 million for “Rio,” the 20th Century Fox animated hit that slipped to No. 2 with $14.4 million.

The No. 1 movie the two previous weekends, “Rio” raised its total to $103.6 million.

“Fast Five” set a record for best April debut ever, speeding past the $71 million haul of its predecessor, “Fast & Furious,” two years ago.

The movie reteams stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker as outlaw driving aces and adds Dwayne Johnson as a federal agent on their tail. The action expands beyond the franchise’s traditional racing scene into a broad crime romp.

“Fast Five” played in 3,644 theaters, averaging a mammoth $22,950 a cinema.

Ten percent, or $8.3 million, of domestic revenues for “Fast Five” came from huge-screen IMAX theaters.

Box Office Results
1. “Fast Five,” $83.6 million.
2. “Rio,” $14.4 million.
3. “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family,” $10.1 million.
4. “Water for Elephants,” $9.1 million.
5. “Prom,” $5 million.
6. “Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil,” $4.1 million.
7. “Soul Surfer,” $3.3 million.
8. “Insidious,” $2.7 million.
9. “Hop,” $2.6 million.
10. “Source Code,” $2.5 million.