Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and Charlize Theron are set to return for the ninth movie in the long-running Fast & Furious series in May, but when the first movie in the series was released way back in 2001, no one could have predicted what it would lead to. The movie borrowed the title from a long-forgotten '50s B-movie and was an entertaining street racing drama featuring TV star Paul Walker and largely unknown actor Vin Diesel. It was a commercial success, which ensured a sequel two years later, which was also a box office hit. But as we've seen many times before, few movie series can keep up that momentum forever. From Men in Black to Pirates of the Carribean, there is always a point where audiences start to lose interest and move onto the next hot film franchise.
But amazingly, 19 years later, the Fast & Furious franchise is more popular than ever. The most recent film in the main series--2017's The Fate of the Furious--grossed more than $1.23 billion at the worldwide box office, and while last year's spin-off Hobbs & Shaw wasn't as successful, it still made an impressive $758 million. The series itself has changed considerably as the years have gone by; the films have got more and more ridiculous, and the modest stunts of the first film transformed into some truly wild and outlandish action, with the street racing plots shifting towards heists, chases, and general automotive insanity. All helped of course by a charismatic cast of modern action stars, including Diesel, Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, and Jason Statham.
But it hasn't all been fun behind the camera. The tragic death of Paul Walker during the production of Fast 7 in 2013 left some to wonder if the series would survive, and there have been public feuds between Johnson and Diesel, Johnson and Tyrese, and Rodriguez and writer Chris Morgan. None of these have hurt the series financially, however--they may even have helped--and audiences seemingly can't get enough of Dominic Toretto and his "family."
The ninth movie in the series arrives in theaters this year. Most details are currently under wraps, but the film finished production in November, and with the first trailer imminent, expect lots more information about the film to emerge in the coming weeks. But for now, here's everything we know so far about Fast & Furious 9...
When is it released?
Fast 9 hits theaters on May 22, 2020.
Who's coming back to the cast?
There will be many familiar faces in the next Fast & Furious movie. Most of the regular cast are returning, including Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto, Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz, Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto, Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej Parker, and Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey. Two of the newer additions to the franchise are back too--Charlize Theron will reprise her role from The Fate of the Furious as villainous cyberterrorist Cipher, while Helen Mirren is back as Magdalene Shaw. There are two notable omissions from the cast list this time around--Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham aren't expected to appear as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw. That said, the series has been known to spring surprises on its audiences, so you never know...
Who's new?
There are a few new additions to the Fast & Furious family. John Cena is set to play a character that Deadline described as a "badass," while Walking Dead and Guardians of the Galaxy star Michael Rooker will play a character named Buddy. Other new cast members include Finn Cole (Peaky Blinders), Anna Sawa (Giri/Haji), Vinnie Bennett (Ghost in the Shell), and musicians Cardi B and Ozuna.
When is the first trailer released?
The first Fast 9 trailer will be released on January 31. But in keeping with the over-the-top nature of the series, this won't be a standard online trailer drop--it's set to be unveiled as part of a live concert in Miami, with performances from Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth, Ludacris, Cardi B, and Ozuna, and appearances from other as-yet-unspecified cast members.
What's the title?
The title of the movie has not been announced yet. But with the trailer due in a few weeks, expect it to be revealed very soon.
Who's the director?
Fast 9 will be directed by Justin Lin. This will be Lin's fifth movie in the series, having previously helmed The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Fast & Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), and Fast & Furious 6 (2013). His other directing credits include Star Trek Beyond, and he'll be back for Fast 10 in 2021.
What's it about?
Very little is known about Fast 9's plot, but we can guess a few things. Cipher is still on the loose, and is likely to be the movie's main villain once more. Brewster's return as Mia is intriguing--she was last seen in Fast 7, with the wrap-up of the Brian O'Conner storyline, following the tragic death of Paul Walker. There have even been rumors that O'Conner himself might reappear, potentially using stand-ins and CG like Fast 7 was forced to after Walker died during production. Lin has described Fast 9 as the "most ambitious" one in the series so far, and the filming locations--which include London, Thailand, and Los Angeles--suggest a typically globe-trotting storyline.
More to come?
This might be the ninth movie in the series--tenth if you're counting Hobbs & Shaw--but the franchise shows no sign of slowing down. Fast 10 is already scheduled for an April 2021 release, while the animated series Fast & Furious Spy Racers hit Netflix last month. There are also two further movies in development, one in the main series, and another with a female-led cast.
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