After a year of teasers on social media, the release date for the next Fast & Furious film now titled “Fast Forever” has been pushed back to March 2028. That’s a full 5 years after ‘Fast X‘ cane out in May 2023, which is way too long considering this next movie was supposed to be ‘part two’. Seems that Universal Studios balked on the big-budget after ‘Fast X‘ made only $714 million in ticket sales on a budget of $379 million. Marketing and promotion may have doubled that cost, eating up profits.
“Furious 7” ($190M budget) made $1.5 billion at the box office, and “F8 of the Furious” ($250M budget) made an additional $1.2 billion, so this may be the law of diminishing returns. It’s possible moviegoers grew up and don’t care about street racing hooliganism anymore.
Universal is still committed to the F&F universe. Later this year they’re launching a spinning, high-speed roller coaster called ‘Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift’ at Universal Studios Hollywood. Featuring 360-degree drifting cars and a 170′ vertical drop, a second roller coaster will be built at Universal Studios Florida in 2027. That’s not abandoning the F&F franchise; that’s doubling down.
Collaborations with Häagen-Dazs and PUMA bring in big money with very low cost and zero risk. Apparently the gearheads at The Wall Street Journal reported that Universal have given a firm $200 million budget for Fast & Furious 11, so perhaps the outrageous the direction the series has taken in recent years will change.
Movie ticket sales are down worldwide, as consumer tastes shift from the cinema experience. So, it’s tough to justify spending $350 million on a film, when a $1 billion return on investment isn’t a lock. But here’s well known secret; classic JDM cars, street racing, and bikini girls don’t cost $379 million to film. The ‘Fast Family’ has grown to include The Rock, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Helen Mirren, John Cena, and Jason Momoa: but do they really add enough value to the movie to justify the millions they’re paid? It’s not an insult, just a question of whether Fast & Furious 11 needs them? Perhaps focusing on the core Family, back in L.A., is the ideal way of bringing the series full circle.
Paul Walker passed away more than a decade ago, and Vin Diesel will be 60 years old when Fast Forever comes out. The series has to end at some point, but it’s hard to believe that Universal Studios would let their most valuable movie franchise just disappear. Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to introduce the next generation; a bulked up Timothée Chalamet with a buzz cut! It’s not too soon for a reboot.
Timothée Chalamet?
No.
Just no.
Even bulked up.
🙂