Last year, action megastar Vin Diesel made headlines when he insisted that the release of the hotly anticipated ninth “Fast and Furious” installment – that ever-beloved media franchise that officially cemented Mr. Diesel’s legacy and made him the icon he is today – would not be delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, Mr. Diesel is prone to making hyperbolic statements in the press, particularly about the films he himself features in.

Continue reading The 12 Most Ridiculous Moments In The ‘Fast & Furious’ Franchise at The Playlist.

Today is the day that we finally got to see another “F9” trailer. And that means fans will spend all day watching and rewatching the new clip, talking about the latest bonkers action scene that is teased (they’re really going to space, huh?). It also means filmmaker Justin Lin is out there teasing what’s to come in the ‘Fast & Furious’ film saga.

READ MORE: ‘Fast & Furious’ To End With 2 More Films Directed By Justin Lin

Speaking to Deadline, Lin talked about a variety of things regarding ‘F9,’ aka “Fast & Furious 9: Family Trip To Space.” (Okay, not an official title, but really, it should be.) And one of the main topics of conversation is how the pandemic affected the release of the new ‘Fast’ film.

Continue reading Justin Lin Says Dwayne Johnson & Jason Statham Could Return To ‘Fast’ Films: “They’re Part Of This Family” at The Playlist.

If you’re a fan of the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise, you’re likely familiar with the seemingly never-ending feud between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and series star Vin Diesel. The latter has been driving cars and saying badass one-liners in the franchise since the very beginning, while the former was seen as the “franchise viagra” that came in and catapulted the ‘F&F’ films to new box office heights.

Continue reading Dwayne Johnson Squashes Feud With Vin Diesel & Teases ‘Fast & Furious’ Return at The Playlist.

Labor Day Weekend isn’t normally known as a time to highlight the biggest blockbuster a studio might have. Sure, there’s an extra day to get people’s attention, but this weekend is normally known as a time when parents and children prepare for the upcoming school year, while others lament the summer gone by. Basically, not the best time to expect people to run out to the theater. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that this weekend’s box office report will feel a bit similar to last weekend’s, as studios largely steered clear.

Continue reading ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ Successfully Swings Back Into The Box Office Top 10 With Extended Cut Despite Sony/Disney Squabble at The Playlist.

Truth be told, there are some weekends when I sit here and realize that the box office report is going to be a bit…dry. That is to say that there’s just not too much to talk about, or perhaps I’m just sick of talking about another silly record being broken by Disney. It gets boring. This weekend, dear reader, that is not the case as Hollywood has decided to release no less than 6 films in relatively wide release and the Top 10 is drastically different than even 7 days ago.

Continue reading ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Barely Muscles Out Horror Film ‘Scary Stories’ As ‘The Kitchen’ Fizzles [Box Office] at The Playlist.

Not sure if you’ve heard or not, but in the world of the “Fast and Furious” films, it’s all about family. So with that, on the latest episode of The Discourse – the show where we discuss film and television reviews, news, and any other items in the zeitgeist that we feel the need to weigh-in on – we’ve recruited an outstanding family of writers.

Robert Daniels (812FilmReviews, Mediaversity), Alisha Grauso (Atom Insider), and Griffin Schiller (FilmSpeak, The 4th Wall) join me this week to discuss “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,” the first official spin-off in the nearly twenty-year-old franchise.

Continue reading The Insanity & Imperfections Of ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ [The Discourse Podcast] at The Playlist.

By now, a lot of film fans have experienced the over-the-top ridiculousness of ‘Hobbs & Shaw.’ The first ‘Fast & Furious’ spin-off is chock full of massive action scenes, bulging biceps, and corny dialogue that has become a bit of a staple in the franchise. And that sense of ludicrousness has bled over into the cameos that appear in the film.

**Spoilers for a couple of cameos in ‘Hobbs & Shaw’**

If you’ve seen the film, you know that Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart are the surprise supporting stars of the film, showing up multiple times to inject some extra humor in the already silly film.

Continue reading ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Director Says Surprise Cameos Could Turn Into Expanded Roles Down The Line & Reveals Role That Was Set Aside For Keanu Reeves at The Playlist.

It has already been a bizarre summer for movies, it’s only going to get stranger in August before the upheaval of the festival circuit is further set upon us and awards season kicks into high gear. Until then, while there are certainly interesting films to get us by, we’re going to continue to be hit with a smorgasbord of odd selections, from hard-hitting documentaries to the most ridiculous action flicks the genre could hurtle our way.

Continue reading 11 Movies To Watch In August: ‘Scary Stories,’ ‘Peanut Butter Falcon,’ ‘The Kitchen’ & More at The Playlist.

Is the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise big enough for spin-off films? Universal was hoping the answer would be yes. That’s why the studio pumped in $200 million into the production of the series’ first spin-off, ‘Hobbs & Shaw.’ And if the opening weekend box office is any indication, the answer to the question is a resounding…sure.

READ MORE: ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Takes Ridiculousness To A Whole New Nos-Fueled Level But Survives On Pure Chemistry [Review]

Let’s be real, with an opening weekend estimated at $60.8 million, ‘Hobbs & Shaw,’ starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, didn’t open to ‘Fast’ numbers, but still did really damn great.

Continue reading ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Muscles Its Way To The Top But Isn’t Quite As Dominant As ‘Fast & Furious’ [Box Office] at The Playlist.

As an actor that has to be featured in multiple fight scenes with people like Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, you’re definitely not going to want anything come up that would undermine your “manliness.” Much like the locker room behavior in high school, it appears that the set of ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ was subject to some good-natured teasing at the expense of Idris Elba due to his next project after the ‘Fast & Furious’ spin-off.

Continue reading Idris Elba Says Dwayne Johnson & Jason Statham Used To Tease Him About ‘Cats’ While Filming ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ at The Playlist.

Even without ever meeting the actors in person, it’s clear just from the way they present themselves in the franchise, the muscle-bound leads in the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise are very particular about how they look in the film series. And according to a new report, stars Jason Statham, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Vin Diesel are allowed to dictate exactly who gets to punch who, in what is seemingly a way to make sure everyone continues to look like a badass, while also making sure no one is the top badass.

Continue reading The Macho, Muscle-Bound Stars Of The ‘Fast & Furious’ Series Are Reportedly Insecure About Looking Bad In The Fight Scenes at The Playlist.

We know that Christopher Nolan is a fan of preserving the theatrical experience. So, we should have guessed that he and Warner Bros. would surprise everyone and debut his the first teaser for his latest film, “Tenet,” in theaters only.

If you went out to see “Hobbs & Shaw” last night, you were likely lucky enough to be some of the only people to check out the first teaser for Nolan’s latest action film, “Tenet.” Normally, when studios release a teaser or a trailer, they will drop it online first, a couple of days before the footage hits theaters.

Continue reading Christopher Nolan Surprises ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Audiences With The First Teaser For His Upcoming Thriller ‘Tenet’ at The Playlist.

Welcome to the Episode 3 of The Fourth Wall – an interview podcast where I attempt to break down the fourth wall of the film industry, getting a behind the scenes look through my conversations with filmmakers, actors/actresses, and other industry professionals. My guest today is “Hobbs & Shaw” director David Leitch.

Leitch has been the stunt double for Brad Pitt and Jean-Claude Van Damm, and his stunt credits span across a multitude of films including “The Matrix” trilogy and “V for Vendetta.” He was a co-director on 2014’s “John Wick” and the man behind films such as “Atomic Blonde” and “Deadpool 2.” Taking his action sensibilities to the “Fast & Furious” franchise, “Hobbs & Shaw” offers some of the most heightened, yet practical set pieces the series has seen thus far.

Continue reading ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Director David Leitch Reveals An Alternate Opening & How He Landed That Scene Stealing Cameo [The Fourth Wall] at The Playlist.

Gear shifting from very self-serious, dated, racecar bros actioners, to ridiculous, self-aware racecar bros spectacles, perhaps no mainstream franchise of the last 20 years has reinvented itself the way the “Fast & Furious” films have. Ever since Justin Lin went under the hood and retooled things with “Fast Five,” the series has embraced absurdist action extravaganza and in doing so, has super-fuel-injected new life, commercial success, and relevancy to the franchise.

Continue reading ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Takes Ridiculousness To A Whole New Nos-Fueled Level But Survives On Pure Chemistry [Review] at The Playlist.

It isn’t even out yet, but the upcoming “Fast and Furious” spinoff “Hobbs & Shaw” is already looking like one of 2019’s most gloriously self-aware titles—over-the-top action, cheeky one-liners and all. Just when it seems the Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham spectacle, as much of a sure bet as anything to come out this summer, couldn’t blow the top off the meta factor any further, another of the film’s stars is contributing to the movie beyond just acting in it.

Continue reading Listen: DJ Big Driis Aka Idris Elba Contributes A New Hi NRG Dance Track With Cypress Hill To ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Soundtrack at The Playlist.

Heat, action, and crime – what else is the summer at the cinema really good for? If you won’t be sated with other summer high-stakes features like “Men In Black: International,” “Shaft,” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” then we’ve got good news for you. “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw” is coming to theaters this August. Here’s the final trailer for the upcoming adventure and yes, the laws of physics don’t really apply here.

Continue reading ‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw’ Trailer: A Final Balls To The Wall Look At The Epic Spinoff at The Playlist.

Thanks to Marvel and the ‘Avengers’ films, summer blockbuster season starts in April now, so technically, our summer movie preview is late. That’s ok. This summer is stacked, as usual, and that does not even account for the upcoming Cannes Film Festival which will have plenty of arthouse blockbusters premieres and mainstream movies like the new Quentin Tarantino film. Yes, summer 2019 is jam-packed. There are all kinds of blockbusters, indies, arthouse films, horror movies—many of which we’ve already covered here— and more.

Continue reading Summer Movie Preview: 35 Films You Shouldn’t Miss at The Playlist.

As the box office money keeps rolling in at a record pace for “Avengers: Endgame,” now more than ever studios are trying to figure out how to replicate that success. There have to be other franchises out there that can spin-off, branch out, and come back together for massive event films, right? Well, Universal sure thinks so with its ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise.

After eight films, the latter three being massive blockbusters, the “Fast and Furious” franchise is as healthy as ever.

Continue reading Universal Reportedly Developing ‘Fast & Furious’ Spin-Off Focused On Charlize Theron’s Cipher Character at The Playlist.

It’s pretty simple. The members of the “Fast And Furious” cast particular Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel weren’t getting along and publicly feuding. One way to get around the beef? Well, the “Fast and Furious” franchise was already eyeing expansion and then the perfect dovetailing opportunity arrived to pivot with a spin-off. Hence Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham reprise their roles as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw in “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.” After eight films that have amassed almost $5 billion worldwide, it’s time to give the other guys their own vehicle.

Continue reading ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Trailer: Fast & Furious Presents Another High Octane, Kick-Ass Adventure at The Playlist.

Earlier last year, the gimmick of the Spin-Off was dealt a death-card in the form of “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” where the troubled production couldn’t escape the looming shadow of Harrison Ford or impress an audience that the franchise, at this point, seemed to guarantee. But these sort of failures are not always the case: “Creed” proved itself a poignant modernization of the “Rocky” franchise; the most recent major spin-off, “Bumblebee,” gave fresh breath to an exhausted series.

Continue reading ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Trailer: ‘Fast & Furious’ Presents A Kick-Ass New Adventure With A Super-Powered Idris Elba at The Playlist.

We’re not saying that these two points are 100% related, but it’s certainly interesting that the “Fast and Furious” franchise really took off and became such a behemoth in “Fast 5,” which was the first film to feature Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Hobbs character. Since then, Johnson has been a fixture in the ‘Fast’ films and each one has gone on to become massive, massive hits.

Continue reading Dwayne Johnson Says Hobbs Will Not Show Up In Upcoming ‘Fast 9’ at The Playlist.

It’s been over a year since ‘Fast & Furious’ fans got their fix, with the release of “The Fate of the Furious.” And while 2019 doesn’t bring ‘Fast 9,’ fans of a couple of ‘F&F’ characters will be happy with the upcoming spin-off, ‘Hobbs & Shaw,’ which debuts in August. Oh sorry, that’s actually not the official title.

Next August marks the debut of “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.” Yes, it’s a mouthful and does bring to mind “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” or the recent “The Girl in the Spider’s Web: A New Dragon Tattoo Story,” but the names Hobbs and Shaw don’t put butts in the seats.

Continue reading ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Has A New Title & Dwayne Johnson Says Fans “Are Going To F—ing Love This Movie” at The Playlist.