During an extended period, every franchise inevitably encounters a significant barrier of ill-conceived ideas. No franchise is exempt from this phenomenon. Today, we often refer to this as “exceeding the absurd,” derived from an episode on the ’70s sitcom Happy Days, where the Fonz skipped over a shark on waterskis. In 2021, the Fast and the Furious series provided a contemporary example. For the ninth film, F9: The Fast Saga, they placed Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris in a car and sent them into space. This incredibly absurd moment was a turning point for many fans, and it appears that Donna Langley, head of Universal Pictures, shares this sentiment, expressing regret over the creative decision during the Toronto Film Festival. (Variety reported this.)
I’m sorry that we sent them into space. We can never get that genie back.
Speaking about the franchise as a whole, Langley commented later on, “We realized we needed to expand it. We deliberately shifted towards an international heist theme.” This strategic change clearly paid off. Once the franchise adopted this new direction, departing from its straightforward car racing focus, its worldwide box office success skyrocketed. Movies like Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious, each earning over a billion dollars globally, marked the zenith of the franchise’s growth.
As Vin Diesel’s movies became increasingly outrageous, fans began making humorous comments suggesting that the characters might venture into space. It seems Universal may have taken this as a genuine preference from fans, instead of a jest. However, once a direction is set, it can be challenging to reverse course. Although each subsequent movie in the series has been raking in huge sums at the box office, the earnings for recent installments have been declining. With all that said, will the upcoming Fast & Furious 12 manage to revive the franchise’s success one more time? Only time will tell. The next film in the franchise is scheduled for release in 2026.
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2025-09-09 03:04