• New York Times, Tuesday, February 19, 2013 8:02 AM

Universal’s “Fast & Furious” franchise has sold over $1.8 billion in tickets worldwide, but it's not on the A-list.  But it has a ginormous following: Its Facebook page has 24.9 million “likes,” more than any active film series except “Avatar.” Its star, Vin Diesel, has 39 million Facebook fans; among actors, only Will Smith has more. So the studio is promoting “Fast & Furious 6” with online promotions, and an ad on the Super Bowl. It got more buzz than “Iron Man 3” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.”  The “Fast & Furious 6” extended Super Bowl ad has been viewed more than 16 million times on YouTube. The equivalent “Iron Man 3” spot has about 3 million views.

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