The entire film industry was completely uprooted by the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to rage throughout certain corners of the globe. From numerous production delays to constant release date reshuffling, the movie landscape is unrecognizable from what it was at the start of 2020.
One of the movies that made an early jump to 2021 (as opposed to pushing back a couple months repeatedly like Tenet and Mulan) was the ninth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise, F9. Now set to release on April 2, 2021, F9 remains a highly anticipated action film and plenty of details about it are known to the audience already.
Slingshot Car
The Fast franchise has a ton of absurd set pieces that have taken their place among the most ludicrous (pun intended) in the history of the action genre. Based on the previously released trailer for F9, this installment will be no different.
The climactic money shot of the trailer sees Dom and Letty driving a car off a cliff and then using a chain tied to it to swing in an elliptical fashion. Does this obey physics? Perhaps not. But that’s never stopped them before.
Rocket Fuel
In addition to knowing that cars are about to fly again in F9, fans also know that rocket fuel (or something akin to it) will be implemented into at least one of the vehicles on the team. The trailer features one sequence where Roman’s car gets a boost from a burst of flames.
This fire is attached to some sort of launcher or booster on his car, so it’s safe to say that some advanced vehicular technologies will be a part of F9. As Roman exclaims, it’s going to be “en fuego.”
Creative Team
One of the most interesting things known about F9 so far is the creative team behind it. For one, Daniel Casey (the screenwriter behind 2018’s Kin) is the man at the helm for the screenplay, marking the first time since 2 Fast 2 Furious that Chris Morgan is not attached.
For another, Justin Lin is back in the director’s chair for the first film. It’s the first time since Fast & Furious 6 that Lin has directed a Fast film and his first directorial effort since Star Trek Beyond. This might result in a unique vibe for F9.
New Cast
Lin is a veteran of the franchise, but Casey is new blood. Speaking of new blood, a number of actors have joined the cast for the first time. For example, John Cena is in the mix, but there will be more on him later.
Actors like Ozuna and Finn Cole have been cast in still-mysterious capacities. However, Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Cardi B (Hustlers) have joined the team as characters named Buddy and Leysa, respectively. They’ll surely fit in perfectly.
English Settings
Filming a Fast film usually involves a lot of globetrotting shoots. This time, F9 shot the majority of its scenes in the United Kingdom, with a particular emphasis on London and Edinburgh.
While this makes for an interesting thrust behind F9, there are other locations involved, too. Crews shot scenes in California and Georgia (which could both double as other locations) for the United States and Thailand internationally.
No Hobbs Or Shaw
For the first time since the fourth Fast and Furious film, an installment in the franchise will feature neither Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs or Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw.
While there is some behind-the-scenes beef among the cast, the reason for Hobbs and Shaw getting left out can mostly be ascribed to the fact that Hobbs and Shaw exists. The pair earned their own spin-off film, removing them from having the free time necessary to film F9.
Tokyo Drift
For a good portion of the Fast franchise’s existence, the third film, Tokyo Drift, has been treated largely as a black sheep. Set in a future timeline and comprised of a cast that is largely separate from the rest of the family, Tokyo Drift never fit into the timeline too strongly.
F9 is going to great lengths to bring back elements of Tokyo Drift, though, including some cast members. Twinkie and Earl Hu (portrayed by Bow Wow and Jason Tobin, respectively) are back in the game for F9, which will be undoubtedly delightful.
Dom Has A Brother
Even though the Fast films have always emphasized the theme of “family,” somehow they have neglected to mention the fact that Dom Toretto, the hero of the movies, has a brother. Well, F9 is positioning Jakob Toretto as a major player in the film.
Jakob is portrayed by John Cena and, based on the initial footage released from the film, seems like a villain. No one stays evil for long in the Fast movies, though. Especially not family.
Cipher’s Back
While Jakob will be an antagonist for at least some portion of F9, the major villain of this installment is Cipher, played by Charlize Theron, who is returning from The Fate of the Furious.
Cipher is out for vengeance against Dom (who hasn’t been, honestly?) and she’s enlisted Jakob along her side. Charlize is always excellent and the Fast and Furious team is smart to bring her back for this one.
Han’s Back
Forget about Cipher, though. This particular fact about the upcoming Fast film is one of the most important facts of any movie in the entire franchise! Han Lue (Sung Kang) is back in the films, baby!
Han is absolutely one of the franchise’s best characters and he was believed to be dead due to the events of Tokyo Drift. But somehow, Han has returned. The world may not know how yet, but all that matters is that F9 marks the return of a fan favorite.
