Universal Wrapping Fast & Furious Franchise, Lin to Helm Final Two Films

October 20, 2020 steezy

Universal wrapping Fast & Furious franchise, Lin to helm final two films

It was an idea hinted at by cast and crew a few years ago and now it’s been confirmed that Universal Pictures will be wrapping up its nearly $6 billion Fast & Furious franchise with two final films and have tapped five-time franchise director Justin Lin to helm both, according to Deadline.

While development is still in the very early stages for the story of the films, it’s believed that series scribe Chris Morgan will return to pen the final two installments and that stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel and Sung Kang are all set to return, though it’s very unclear as to whether Hobbs & Shaw stars Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham will, namely as the latter had a falling out with Diesel.

Diesel and various stars, crew members and even the studio have teased over the years that the franchise would most likely come to a close after the tenth film, although with the success of the Johnson and Statham-fronted spin-off, the studio saw potential the keep it going past the mainline story, with a Hobbs & Shaw sequel currently in development from Morgan as well as a female-led spin-off and the Netflix animated series Fast & Furious Spy Racers, which recently released its second season.

In F9, Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena).

F9 sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the series when it transformed into a global blockbuster. The action hurtles around the globe—from London to Tokyo, from Central America to Edinburgh, and from a secret bunker in Azerbaijan to the teeming streets of Tbilisi. Along the way, old friends will be resurrected, old foes will return, history will be rewritten, and the true meaning of family will be tested like never before.

The film stars returning cast members Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Sung Kang, with Oscar winner Helen Mirren and Oscar winner Charlize Theron. F9 also features Grammy-winning superstar Cardi B as a new franchise character Leysa, a woman with a connection to Dom’s past, and a cameo by Reggaeton sensation Ozuna.

F9 is produced by Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Joe Roth, Justin Lin, Clayton Townsend, and Samantha Vincent and is set to hit theaters on May 28, 2021.

(Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)