Fast And Furious Director On Bringing Back Dwayne Johnson
Fans have wondered about the possibility of Dwayne Johnson returning to the Fast and Furious franchise and the director weighed in
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Once Fast and Furious 9 races into U.S and U.K cinemas this month fans from all over the world will have seen exactly how Han makes a comeback. They will also find out where Hobbs and Shaw are at during the movie and why it took nine movies for Dom to mention he has a brother. While we wait for these mysteries to be unveiled director Justin Lin has shared his thoughts about Dwayne Johnson’s possible return to the franchise. There’s still a chance folks.
Knowing that the Fast Saga is speeding toward its two-part conclusion, which will essentially close the curtain on the current segment of the story, Cinema Blend asked the director, Lin, if Dwayne Johnson would make an appearance as part of the story’s conclusion.
“I think that’s always been our approach. … So many of the conversations I have are about characters that are not even in there, but are still, obviously, they are living and breathing in this universe. On this one, when I came back, I was thinking a lot about Hobbs and Shaw, and all of the other characters. I never think of them as being gone, for sure.”
As fans of the films will know, Dwayne Johnson made his Fast saga debut in 2011’s Fast Five as Diplomatic Security Service agent Luke Hobbs. The popularity of his character led to Hobbs and Shaw, a high-profile spinoff that saw The Rock (Hobbs) and Jason Statham (Shaw) going off on their own adventure.
The film explored the cultures and backgrounds of the diametrically opposite protagonists and was well received by viewers. But behind-the-scenes rumors suggest the Dwayne Johnson spin-off was only created due to a potential beef with some members of the “Fast family” with harsh words exchanged over social media.
So perhaps a few fences need to be mended before a “family” reunion can happen. However, in terms of storytelling, the F9 director definitely sees the return of Dwayne Johnson as Hobbs as an option.
Starting in 2001, The Fast and Furious is one of the biggest movie franchises on the planet, centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with illegal street racing, heists, and spies. The franchise also includes short films, a television series, live shows, video games, and theme park attractions. It is distributed by Universal Pictures.
Having Dwayne Johnson rejoin the Fast Saga would be a fitting way to conclude the story that’s been part of our lives for almost two decades. In the meantime, fans can look forward to catching up with Vin Diesel’s crew in F9 very soon (unless you’re reading this from a territory that’s already screened the movie).
Set after the events of 2017’s The Fate of the Furious, the story follows Dominic Toretto and his family who must face his younger brother Jakob, a deadly assassin, who is working with their old enemy Cipher. He also holds a personal vendetta against Dominic.
Directed by Justin Lin from a script by Daniel Casey, the F9 stars Vin Diesel, John Cena, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, and Charlize Theron.
F9 is the ninth main installment in the franchise and the tenth full-length film released overall. During its five-day international opening weekend, the film earned $163 million, the biggest international opening for a Hollywood film since the pandemic began in March 2020.
F9 also set the pandemic record for IMAX gross earnings ($14 million), and was the second-biggest May international opening ever, despite playing in 26 fewer countries than the current record holder, Captain America: Civil War.