Today is the day that we finally got to see another “F9” trailer. And that means fans will spend all day watching and rewatching the new clip, talking about the latest bonkers action scene that is teased (they’re really going to space, huh?). It also means filmmaker Justin Lin is out there teasing what’s to come in the ‘Fast & Furious’ film saga.
READ MORE: ‘Fast & Furious’ To End With 2 More Films Directed By Justin Lin
Speaking to Deadline, Lin talked about a variety of things regarding ‘F9,’ aka “Fast & Furious 9: Family Trip To Space.” (Okay, not an official title, but really, it should be.) And one of the main topics of conversation is how the pandemic affected the release of the new ‘Fast’ film. Well, specifically, how the pandemic didn’t affect the release strategy. With so many films finding themselves sent to streaming first over the past year, Lin said that Universal, Vin Diesel, and himself were all in line with never thinking “F9” would be sent to streaming.
No. I’m very proud to say that I had my stance; Vin, we were in line,” he said. “The studio, I just give them so much credit, again, for those thoughtful conversations, where we talk about why we make these movies, and how we want to share this with the world. So, it never kind of went beyond that, and it was a very pleasant process, when it came to that.”
READ MORE: Dwayne Johnson Confirms ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Sequel Is Officially In Development
Even though “F9” is headed to theaters exclusively, and it appears the ‘Fast’ franchise will continue making big-budget action spectacles for the big screen, Lin admitted that the shift to streaming is definitely understandable when it comes to smaller features. But again, don’t expect Vin Diesel and his “family” to debut exclusively on Peacock (NBCUniversal’s streaming service with an absolutely terrible name).
“I’m fortunate enough to be able to make indie movies, TV and stuff, and I could tell you certain movies, you’re like, ‘Yeah, great. You can watch it streaming, you can watch on a tablet,’” Lin explained. “But I’ve always felt like the ‘Fast’ franchise, we do this for the big screen. So, I’ve always been confident because I mean…I grew up with [it]. I could still tell you some of my most memorable, emotional moments were shared in a movie theater. So, I still have a lot of belief in it, and I think that especially films like ‘Fast,’ this franchise, I feel confident that we’re going to be living in this format.”
READ MORE: Vin Diesel Says ‘Furious 7’ Ending Is The “Best Moment In Cinematic History”
And if you’re someone that has been following all the behind-the-scenes news and drama regarding the ‘Fast’ franchise, you know “F9” is actually the first of a trilogy of films that will close out this primary Vin Diesel-led saga. And considering Justin Lin is preparing to put the bow on the ‘Fast & Furious’ film series, people want to know if they’ll ever get to see Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham return to the family. You see, after some reported issues behind-the-scenes between Johnson and Diesel, the former branched out and started the “Hobbs & Shaw” spinoff franchise with Statham and it appeared there was no way we’d see the two heavy hitters cross paths again. Well, according to Lin, don’t rule it out just yet.
“I never really considered [Johnson and Statham] gone, you know?” LIn said. “To me, they’re still in this universe; they’re part of this family. Whatever we do, whenever we’re talking about the next chapter, I never feel like I have any restrictions, so I’m excited for what we build, and as we’re coming to this kind of final chapter of this saga, I think I’m excited to revisit…Any character, in any situation, is up for discussion.”
Obviously, that’s far from a confirmation that Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham will bring Hobbs and Shaw back to the ‘Fast’ Saga’s main film series. However, in the eyes of fans and potential box office receipts, perhaps the reunion is too good to pass up? We’ll just have to wait and see.
