It might be one of the biggest franchises around — with this year’s “The Fate Of The Furious” being significantly down on its predecessor and yet still making an enormous $1.2 billion worldwide, making it the eleventh biggest movie in history — but the “Fast & Furious” series has had a certain share of behind-the-scenes turmoil recently.
First, word of a reported feud between series mainstay Vin Diesel and co-star Dwayne Johnson leaked out thanks to some not-particularly-blind-item social media posts from the latter, calling an unnamed colleague a “candy ass.” Then Michelle Rodriguez used Instagram to call out the producers, saying she’d quit the series if the female characters weren’t fleshed out more in the next installment.
And now, one of the franchise’s longest-running actors has taken aim at Johnson over reports that he’s jumping ship to star in a spin-off. Word emerged back in April that Universal is hoping to broaden the F&F Cinematic Universe with a movie focused on a team-up of Johnson’s character with frenemy Deckard Shaw, as played by Jason Statham. But Tyrese, who’s appeared in five of the eight movies to date, pleaded on Instagram (in a since-deleted post, via Vulture) for Johnson to, at the very least, put the planned movie on the back-burner.
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“I’m simply trying to reach him cause he won’t call me back about this solo #HobbsMovie I want you to shoot it just not right now cause the #Fast9 release date has already been announced,” the rapper-turned-actor wrote. “Didn’t you see how HUGE #Fast8 was?? It’s because we announced and KEPT our release date bro.” Tyrese took pains to insist that Johnson is “my brother,” and compliments his singing in “Moana,” though admits that “just being honest I didn’t like Bay Watch lol.” Who did, Tyrese? Who did?
What’s interesting is that he seems to suggest that Universal might be planning to fast-track the Hobbs & Shaw movie and delay “Fast & Furious 9.” But while Tyrese pleads that “I’m doing this only on behalf of our families so we keep them all in private school,” we wonder if a delay might not be a good idea — “The Fate Of The Furious” suggested a franchise becoming increasingly creatively stagnant, and maybe a slightly more extended break would help refresh things a bit?
Anyway, we’re living in this strange new world where major movie stars publicly negotiate on Instagram and we’re kind of digging it. Assuming Tyrese’s desperate gambit works, “Fast & Furious 9” opens on April 19th, 2019. Next up: Helen Mirren’s Snapchat diss of Kurt Russell, we hope.