The disappointing run of a 2014 video game movie makes the Fast & Furious franchise’s lucrative and perpetual success at the box office all the more impressive. Since the original 2001 entry, The Fast & The Furious – which alone was a big hit with audiences – the franchise has expanded into a $7.4 billion cinematic behemoth. To this day, the Fast & Furious franchise continues to develop exponentially, seeking even more mileage with upcoming Fast & Furious sequels and spinoffs despite already having ten original series installments and one spin-off movie made in its name across two-plus decades.

That said, the franchise pursued a divisive premise change to maintain relevance with audiences over the years, seeking exceedingly unbelievable, higher-octane installments with each release. By Fast Five, the Fast & Furious franchise stopped being about street racing and geared itself toward large-scale action heist films. The overall premise change was a frustrating move away from the grounded storylines and character arcs of the franchise’s initial movies – but it’s hard to deny that the decision transpired in its best interest. If its gross numbers and prevalence today aren’t proof enough, then the failure of one $203 million action movie surely is.

Need For Speed’s Box Office Disappointment Makes Fast & Furious’ Success More Impressive

Need For Speed Made $203 Million Globally But Only $43 Million Domestically

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures’ 2014 Need for Speed movie wasn’t a total box office fail, pulling more than triple its production budget of $66 million and earning $203 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). However, its low critical and domestic appeal proved that making a blockbuster franchise based on cars and street racing is easier said than done. Domestically, Need for Speed grossed less than its production costs, scraping in $43 million. In addition, Need for Speed failed to impress its critics and general audiences, as indicated by its mediocre Rotten Tomatoes scores of 23% and 56%, respectively.

As did earlier Fast & Furious movies, Need for Speed blended a crime story with street racing and pure car culture. As a bonus, Need for Speed was attached to the eminent video game franchise of the same name, which boasts over 100 million units sold and has generated upwards of $2.7 billion in life-to-date sales (via Electronic Arts). Ideally, Need for Speed would’ve capitalized on its exciting premise and the video game franchise’s strong following. Yet it failed hugely, demonstrating how hard it is to see a street racing film franchise prevail as tremendously as Fast & Furious has.

What Went Wrong With The Need For Speed Movie

Need for Speed’s Script Was Nowhere Near As Dazzling As Its Cars

Although Need for Speed’s cars and stunts were easy on the eyes, critics and audiences couldn’t get down with its uninspired script and characters. The movie starred Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul as Tobey Marshall in a spiritless story that found him seeking revenge on a wealthy man who framed him for involuntary manslaughter, Dino Brewster’s Dominic Cooper, by besting his efforts in a high-stakes race. Ultimately, how it handled its story and the players within it came across as nonsensical and ill-thought-out for most, no doubt complicating plans for future Need for Speed installments.

At one point in 2015, a Need for Speed sequel was surprisingly confirmed amid plans to make Need for Speed a major international film series. Yet, it’s now been nine years since the announcement, suggesting that the project has gone dormant or, even worse, that the plans were scrapped altogether. The Fast & Furious franchise at least got to build on its street racing premise before switching gears to something more easily sustained, but for Need for Speed, it barely got off the ground before any hope for the franchise turned sour.

Source: Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes, Electronic Arts