LOS ANGELES — It had to hit a pothole at some point.

In their opening weekends at the North American box office, the four “Fast and Furious” movies released between 2009 and 2015 sped to bigger and bigger totals. But the most recent chapter in the pulpy car-racing franchise, “The Fate of the Furious,” threw the series into reverse, taking in $100.2 million between Thursday night and Sunday, or 32 percent less than its predecessor, “Furious 7.”

Even so, the newest installment, which cost Universal Pictures at least $350 million to make and market worldwide, had one of the best domestic opening weekends on record for an April release, according to comScore, which compiles ticketing data. After adjusting for inflation, “The Fate of the Furious” had the third largest opening in the series’ history, behind “Furious 7” and “Fast & Furious 6,” which arrived to $102.7 million in 2013.

Perhaps most important for Universal, “The Fate of the Furious” took in an additional $432.3 million overseas, a result that showed growth in more than 30 countries — including China, where the movie arrived to a jaw-dropping $190 million in weekend ticket sales. “The Fate of the Furious,” with F. Gary Gray directing an ensemble cast led by Vin Diesel, played in nearly 23,000 theaters around the world.

The domestic decline was expected by Universal and box office analysts. “Furious 7” became supercharged by the death of one of the franchise’s best-known stars, Paul Walker, in an off-set car accident before the film’s release. “The Fate of the Furious” also received weaker reviews than the last four installments. As Sam Adams wrote in a review for Slate, “It feels like the movies have gotten as big as they can get, and the gleeful absurdity that drove them is losing ground to the specter of obligation.”