Eight films into Universal’s Fast and Furious saga and the theme of family continues to be the glue that binds the franchise together. But with F. Gary Gray’s 2017 sequel The Fate of the Furious, the Toretto crew will find that bond lying in tatters after their fearless leader Dominic (Vin Diesel) goes rogue.
Plucked out of his self-imposed exile by the nefarious Cipher (Charlize Theron), previous trailers have essentially outlined the dangerous path that Diesel’s hero (?) finds himself on, and in true Fast and Furious fashion, Dom walking out on his nearest and dearest is enough to spawn a globetrotting adventure involving airplane stunts, nuclear submarines, and cars raining from the sky. Because what’s an entry into the Toretto saga if it doesn’t dial the ridiculousness up to 11 and rip the knob off?
The Fate of the Furious screeches into theaters on April 14th. F. Gary Gray’s blockbuster sequel faces a tall order if it’s to reach the same box office threshold as Furious 7, which blew past just about everyone’s expectations in its journey to $1.5 billion worldwide.
Truth be told, the James Wan actioner stands as something of a box office spike in the franchise’s history, particularly when you consider that Furious 7 will be remembered as a poignant send-off to the late Paul Walker. His tragic death left the future of the series in a precarious position back in 2013, but all involved are gunning to continue his legacy with Fate of the Furious and beyond. From what we understand, those future plans will encompass two final installments, along with the possibility of character-driven spinoffs (prequels?) centering on some of the franchise’s major players. An offshoot for Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs, perhaps? Time will tell.
