The Beginning of the Fast and Furious Franchise
The Fast and Furious franchise began in 2001 with the release of the first movie, simply titled “The Fast and the Furious.” The film starred Paul Walker as Brian O’Conner, a police officer who goes undercover to investigate a group of street racers led by Vin Diesel’s character, Dominic Toretto. The movie was a huge success and spawned a franchise that has continued to this day.
The Sequels and Spin-Offs
After the success of the first movie, a sequel was released in 2003 called “2 Fast 2 Furious.” This movie saw the return of Paul Walker as Brian O’Conner, but Vin Diesel did not reprise his role as Dominic Toretto. Instead, the movie introduced new characters played by Tyrese Gibson and Eva Mendes. The franchise continued with “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” in 2006, which featured a new protagonist named Sean Boswell, played by Lucas Black.
Following “Tokyo Drift,” the franchise returned to the original story in 2009 with “Fast & Furious,” which saw the return of Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto. This movie also marked the beginning of a new trilogy in the franchise, which continued with “Fast Five” in 2011 and “Fast & Furious 6” in 2013. These movies introduced new characters played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Gal Gadot.
In 2015, the franchise introduced a spin-off movie called “Furious 7,” which was set after the events of “Fast & Furious 6.” This movie saw the return of Paul Walker as Brian O’Conner, but tragically, the actor died in a car accident before the movie was completed. The film was finished using CGI and body doubles, and was dedicated to Walker’s memory.
The Latest Installments
Following “Furious 7,” the franchise continued with “The Fate of the Furious” in 2017, which saw the return of Dwayne Johnson and introduced new characters played by Charlize Theron and Scott Eastwood. The movie was a huge success, grossing over $1.2 billion at the box office.
The most recent installment in the franchise is “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,” which was released in 2019. This movie is a spin-off that focuses on the characters played by Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham. The film also introduced new characters played by Idris Elba and Vanessa Kirby.
The Future of the Franchise
The Fast and Furious franchise shows no signs of slowing down, with two more movies currently in development. The first of these movies is set to be released in 2021 and will be titled “F9.” This movie will see the return of Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto, as well as many other familiar faces from the franchise.
The second movie in development is a spin-off that will focus on the characters played by Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren. This movie does not yet have a release date, but is expected to be released in the next few years.
Conclusion
The Fast and Furious franchise has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2001. With eight mainline movies, one spin-off, and two more movies in development, the franchise shows no signs of slowing down. Fans of the series can look forward to many more high-octane action movies in the years to come.
