Fast And Furious 10 Hit With A Giant Delay
Fast and Furious 10 just hit a huge speed bump!
This article is more than 2 years old
The Fast and Furious movies are coming to an end, but not quite as soon as we first heard. The heroes may break speed limits and speed records all the time, but Fast and Furious 10 just slowed down a lot. Vin Diesel’s Dom Torreto and his found family of virtuous thieves won’t be returning to theaters on time.
THR reports that Universal Studios has pushed back Fast and Furious 10‘s theatrical release date by 6 weeks. Originally set to bow April 7, 2023, the film will now instead release in the beginning of 2023’s Easter Weekend, on May 19. Universal already had May 19 reserved for an “untitled event” movie, suggesting the move has been considered for a while. An untitled DreamWorks animation feature will take over the April 7 slot.
Universal hasn’t offered any official reason for the Fast and Furious 10 date change, though THR notes the move puts the film closer to Memorial Day Weekend, which is historically kind to summer blockbusters. They also point out the schedule shift will put the film in closer competition with the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid (May 26) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (June 2). It also puts Fast and Furious 10 in the wake of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5). Vin Diesel will be working on both movies, meaning the actor is sure to spend a lot of time on the red carpet that summer.
It may be tempting for fans of the franchise to speculate that one possible reason for the delay could be that more members of Dom’s found family will return for Fast and Furious 10 than previously expected. In early November, Vin Diesel posted a public plea to his Instagram for Dwayne Johnson to set aside their differences and reprise the role of Hobbs for Fast & Furious 10. If, hypothetically speaking, Johnson were to agree, it could be a reason to delay the film. Johnson is a notoriously busy celebrity and if he were to sign on for the tenth film, it could mean the filming schedule would need to adjust to accommodate him.
Last month, Dwayne Johnson was more open than he’d ever been about his issues with Vin Diesel. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Johnson implied that Diesel treated crew members of the Fast and Furious films poorly. Among other things, he added that when he returned for 2017’s The Fate of the Furious, he did so only with the understanding that he wouldn’t share any scenes with Diesel. There’s been no official word either way since Diesel’s Instagram plea on whether he’ll agree to appear in Fast and Furious 10.
Fast and Furious 10 will act as the first chapter of a two-part film series finale, and the release date for Fast and Furious 11 hasn’t yet been revealed. While Dwayne Johnson may not return, many of the series’ regulars are expected to come back including Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Nathalie Emmanuel, Charlize Theron, Ludacris, Helen Mirren, Jason Tobin, Tyrese Gibson, and Jason Statham. There are also rumors that the late Paul Walker’s daughter Meadow could join the franchise, though it hasn’t been confirmed. Justin Lin — who has directed much of the saga, including this year’s F9 — returns to helm both parts of the finale.
