Fast & Furious 9 is set to be the penultimate entry in the beloved franchise, with several key figures from both behind and in front of the camera telling us that the main story arc will conclude after ten films. And while fans were expecting to get those last two outings this year and then next, plans have now changed.
With almost $5.9 billion at the box office under its belt, The Fast Saga is one of the most lucrative properties in cinema, managing to fully reinvent itself years ago, going from being a mid-budget street racing series to a true juggernaut of the action genre. And though anticipation has been sky high for the next chapter of the story, Fast & Furious 9, Universal has now delayed the film due to Coronavirus fears, pushing it back to 2021.
Given how hyped everyone’s been to see it, this decision obviously isn’t sitting well with fans and below, you can find but a sample of what folks are saying online:
https://twitter.com/Saidiiq1/status/1238139280129773569
Coronavirus took out #Fast9 for a year….That’s how serious this thing is. It literally did the impossible. And It stopped another Vin Diesel movie.
— HOLLYWOOD Holguin (@HollywoodHOLG) March 12, 2020
https://twitter.com/OkSteev/status/1238141596161490947
Fast 9 is moved back an entire YEAR. WOW.
— SacredScofield (@ScofieldSpecter) March 12, 2020
https://twitter.com/KelleyCarter369/status/1238141366124843008
Fast 9 push back… pic.twitter.com/4LqjJSNoRt
— T-Dubs (@xT_Calx) March 12, 2020
FAST 9 delayed.
7.8 billion people pissed. pic.twitter.com/ditRkD6iJB
— Harris Dang aka Critic Name (@FilmMomatic) March 12, 2020
Fast 9 got pushed back until next year???? cmon
— raf. (@SHOWCASEROB_) March 12, 2020
Fast 9 has been delayed a year this has officially gone too far.
— S🅿️encer Christian ⚒ (@UnSub_Spencer) March 12, 2020
https://twitter.com/Blankzilla/status/1238139676650811392
Of course, with the last two Fast movies having made over a billion dollars each at the box office, Fast & Furious 9 seems like it’s guaranteed to be another mega hit for the studio, and it’s understandable that they wouldn’t want to risk any of its earnings by releasing it in May when it was supposed to drop. Still, this news is certainly a bit of a blow for fans, as a one year delay is tough to swallow.
But again, it’s perfectly understandable and Universal is far from the first studio to delay one of their major releases, with A Quiet Place Part II, Mulan and No Time To Die, among others, also having their release dates pushed back either worldwide or in certain regions. On the bright side, at least now you’ll have more than enough time to catch up on the Fast & Furious series before the next entry arrives.