If Justin Lin didn’t know chemistry before 2011, by the end of production on his smash hit Fast Five, the Taiwanese filmmaker was an inadvertent master in the area. In casting Dwayne Johnson for the fifth film, the Fast and Furious franchise suddenly became a lucrative and entertaining property for Universal. A property they may wish to build upon with a standalone film based on Johnson’s DDS agent, Luke Hobbs.
Here’s what Johnson had to say to Empire:
“Possibly after this one [Fast 6] or after the next one [Fast 7], possibly. I’m not quite too sure. I know that’s the goal and we continue to build that character and have him take shape. But yes, I can’t wait.”
It’s a testimony to the positive reaction Johnson garnered when he stepped into the role for Lin two years ago. The WWE wrestler, A.K.A. The Rock, disappeared into Hobbs like milk into coffee and was thoroughly convincing as a resilient tough-nut agent. Though the tyres remain stationary for a Hobbs centred spin-off for now, Johnson will reprise his intimidating role for this year’s Fast 6, which will pick up the narrative threads following our heroes’ escapades in Rio de Janeiro.
As the Fast & Furious universe would have it, a bombastic heist that scored the characters a whopping $100 million just isn’t quite cutting it. Now, scattered across the world in hiding, their mission is to get back to the United States following their forced exodus. A mission they can only accomplish with the help of Johnson’s Luke Hobbs, who recruits the ragtag team to track down a group of mercenary drivers led by a criminal mastermind – played by Luke Evans.
Series stalwart Vin Diesel will return as Dom, who will have particular interest in the mission as Evans’ villain holds information on the whereabouts of his ex-girlfriend Letty – a character the fan base assmed dead. Adding fuel to the already brimming cast list include Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez and Gina Carano.
We can expect Fast 6 to drift into theatres on May 24th, and though the possible Hobb’s spin-off isn’t confirmed as of yet, Dwayne Johnson’s prognostic judging would position the film sometime in the next two to three years at the latest.
Is a Luke Hobb’s film something you’re interested in? Or do you think the Fast and Furious franchise lacks the narrative mileage for spin-offs?