Nobody could have predicted when Rob Cohen’s The Fast and the Furious was released in the summer of 2001 that the franchise would still be going strong 20 years later. The first installment was a $38 million action thriller with a plot that’s pretty much exactly the same as Point Break, and there was absolutely no indication that it would eventually evolve into a series of $200 million globetrotting epics that cornered the market on the most insane vehicular carnage possible.
It’s been a wild ride to get to this point, and the brand has only gone from strength to strength in the decade since Fast Five saw the mythology pivot away from any semblance of grounded reality and into high-octane and preposterously entertaining blockbuster territory. Now, fourteen months later than intended, Fast & Furious 9 is finally coming to theaters on June 25th, and the marketing campaign is starting to kick into high gear.
As well as the previous eight movies returning to cinemas every week free of charge on Fast Fridays, Vin Diesel recently fronted a new promo reinforcing how important the theatrical experience has been for over a century. The latest trailer for F9, though, is essentially a Greatest Hits package, recapping the property’s main selling points of cars, guns, explosions, banter and of course, family.
The box office is still in a fairly precarious position due to the lasting effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, but the success of Godzilla vs. Kong and Mortal Kombat has shown that there are definitely signs of life. Besides, if any big budget series can ride to the rescue and resuscitate a stagnant industry, it’s the universally popular Fast & Furious, and all the footage we’ve seen so far points to the craziest outing yet for the gang.
Published: May 3, 2021 10:19 am