The last few months have sort of blended together in the absence of movies. In any other year, we would be hitting the middle of the summer blockbuster season. Today, in fact, was going to be the opening weekend for Fast & Furious 9. Instead, fans will have to wait until next spring before seeing Dom, Letty and the rest of the crew.
Franchises don’t often get to nine movies, but Fast & Furious has been an outlier in that regard. In fact, the last two entries have each earned more than $1 billion worldwide. And judging by the reaction to the first trailer for Fast & Furious 9 back in January, audiences are not showing any sign of losing interest.
It’s an especially tough pill to swallow for Universal, as the pic was going to be the studio’s big money-maker for the year. With no Star Wars and only one Marvel entry, one could even argue that Fast & Furious 9 was going to be the highest-grossing movie of 2020.
In addition to waiting a year, the studio now has to deal with and resolve their current relationship with AMC and Regal as well. The former announced that they would be banning all Universal films, including blockbusters, from their theaters in response to Universal chairman Jeff Shell’s comments that the studio would be seriously looking at alternative distribution routes for releases following the success of Trolls World Tour on digital. Regal quickly followed suit and with theaters still closed, it remains to be seen if the studio and cinema chains can come to an agreement.
In the meantime, fans took to social media to air their grievances about Fast & Furious 9 no longer coming out this weekend, and you can check out just some of the reactions below.
Under normal circumstances, today, we would have had "the most ambitious" chapter in @TheFastSaga yet.
Now, we just need to be patient. Your favorite #FastFamily will return in #F9 when it opens on April 2, 2021. #FAST9 pic.twitter.com/GIRjKZOBss
— Fast Family (@FastFamily) May 22, 2020
Never forget #F9 pic.twitter.com/BPevFx1afE
— Max Roberts (@MaxRoberts143) May 21, 2020
I was supposed to see #F9 tonight😭 pic.twitter.com/nefccWRo97
— DC Bolling (@DCsFilmTake) May 22, 2020
https://twitter.com/kungfupanda_roh/status/1263644593431683072
Today was the day @TheFastSaga #F9 would have come out.
I would have been doing a 6 hour pre-game with my bros/family and then would have seen the movie.
The movie would end with Dom going to space to set up Fast 10.
And I would have spent the summer salivating 4 more
— Tim Goessling (@thislalife) May 22, 2020
Today I was looking forward to see #F9 and then the pandemic happened. Hoping all the best for the #FastAndFurious family, friends, and fans
— Michael (@gqland) May 23, 2020
Please retweet if you would like to join me in pretending everything is normal and that Fast and the Furious 9 is still coming out on Friday. #F9 #Family #BrianWouldKnowWhatToDo
— D.B. Rosse 🥑 (@sindicabogado) May 20, 2020
me and my dad loved the #FastAndFurious movies we were supposed to go see #F9 tonight we had tickets ready and everything but Nope #COVIDー19 gotta ruin plans pic.twitter.com/1brWBIoHeF
— Jay🏹 (@Hawkmaestro21) May 22, 2020
Fast & Furious 9 will now be with us on April 2nd, 2021.