"Furious 7" has scored the highest opening weekend of the "Fast and the Furious" series and broke the April opening weekend record.

The film opened with $143 million after Universal gave the film a huge marketing push. The movie now ranks as the ninth best opening of all time. Universal promoted the movie with the slogan "One Last Ride" because it was Paul Walker's last film and it also insinuated that the movie was the last in the franchise. However, it seems unlikely that Universal will lose the opportunity of continuing to profit off this lucrative franchise that continuously has made more money with each sequel.

Since the fifth installment in the franchise, Universal decided to change the approach to the series and not only concentrate on racing. The films became more action-packed while still showing off fancy cars and incredible chase sequences. "Fast Five" made $86 million on opening weekend while "Fast and Furious 6" made $97 million opening weekend. "Furious 7" was originally going to be cancelled after the untimely death of Paul Walker but Universal and director James Wan figured out a way to make the film and change the script while still maintaining Walker in the scenes he was able to shoot.

With such a massive opening, the question most fans will ask is if Universal will continue the series without Walker. For fans, this may be the place to stop, especially since the lead actor who started the whole series is no longer alive and, thus, cannot be in any more films. Walker has been a beloved actor in the series and "Furious 7" is an emotional film for the fan base.

However, for Universal, an eighth film may be another chance to make more money. After all, the majority of the characters are still alive and can still make another sequel. Walker's departure from the franchise was done tastefully and there is still room for another installment, especially with Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez's characters.

The franchise is also popular among a diversity of races as the film contains white, black and Hispanic actors. As a matter of fact, 75 percent of the audience that attended "Furious 7" was non-Caucasian. The series is among the most ethnically diverse and that is something that Universal will want to continue to take advantage of.

Additionally, franchises are the way most studios are working today. Warner Bros. took advantage of the Hobbit to expand the Middle Earth universe after "Lord of the Rings" series was finished. The company also plans on making spin-offs of the "Harry Potter" world, even though the main series is finished. Warner Bros. is also working on expanding the DC comic world.

Meanwhile, Disney is making huge strides with their Marvel universe and is expanding the "Star Wars" franchise. The company also plans on making Indiana Jones films. The studio is also working on making adaptations of their animated films, which have obtained huge fanbases.

Paramount is also planning on expanding the "Transformers" universe after a lucrative four films.

Other studios working with franchises include Lionsgate, which currently has "The Hunger Games" and "Divergent."

However, Universal should think about other logistics. The recent movie most likely had the results it did because of Walker's untimely death and easily made the movie a must-watch. Universal also promoted the film as a last, which was also a bigger incentive. With no Walker in a sequel, audiences may not be so interested in the franchise.

After all, Universal saw it with "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," the third installment in the franchise. The movie had a completely new cast and it made $62 million. To date, it is the lowest-grossing film in the franchise and the worst reviewed. The second installment, "2 Fast 2 Furious," also suffered from Vin Diesel's absence. Tyrese Gibson replaced the actor and joined Paul Walker. However, reviews and audience response was not as receptive. The film made $127 million, which was less than the first installment.

While there is nothing announced, it will be interesting how Universal will proceed.

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