In the eighteen years since Rob Cohen launched The Fast and the Furious, the franchise has grossed over $5 billion internationally and has seen its popularity explode since it shifted its focus from street racing to globe-trotting action adventure. This August will see the release of the series' ninth film, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has taken to his Instagram to share that production on the film has officially wrapped.
The film, which will also star Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw, Vanessa Kirby as his little sister, and Idris Elba as the super-soldier villain is poised to be a great success for Universal Studios but hasn't been without its detractors. Former Fast & Furious cast member Tyrese Gibson called Johnson selfish and accused him of making the series all about himself. Additionally, longtime producer Neal Moritz filed a lawsuit against the studio "for breach of oral contract and promissory fraud over being tossed out the door" of the upcoming spinoff. Despite all the background noise, production carried on without any hitches.
Hobbs & Shaw was directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2) and will also feature the big screen debut of WWE Superstar Roman Reigns. It will be released in theatres on August 2, 2019.
Here is the official synopsis:
After eight films that have amassed almost $5 billion worldwide, the Fast & Furious franchise now features its first stand-alone vehicle as Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham reprise their roles as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.
Ever since hulking lawman Hobbs (Johnson), a loyal agent of America's Diplomatic Security Service, and lawless outcast Shaw (Statham), a former British military elite operative, first faced off in 2015’s Furious 7, the duo have swapped smack talk and body blows as they’ve tried to take each other down.
But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton (Idris Elba) gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever — and bests a brilliant and fearless rogue MI6 agent (The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby), who just happens to be Shaw’s sister — these two sworn enemies will have to partner up to bring down the only guy who might be badder than themselves.
Hobbs & Shaw blasts open a new door in the Fast universe as it hurtles action across the globe, from Los Angeles to London and from the toxic wasteland of Chernobyl to the lush beauty of Samoa.
Directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2) from a script by longtime Fast & Furious narrative architect Chris Morgan, the film is produced by Morgan, Johnson, Statham and Hiram Garcia. The executive producers are Dany Garcia, Kelly McCormick, Steven Chasman, Ethan Smith and Ainsley Davies.
