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The Fast & Furious franchise has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide since the release of The Fast and The Furious in 2001. Spanning over a decade and ten movies, the series has become a pop culture phenomenon and one of the most successful film franchises of all time.
With the latest installment in the Fast & Furious franchise, Fast X, scheduled to be released on May 19, 2023, fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of their favorite characters. The trailer and teasers of the movie promise all the usual excitement of the preceding Fast & Furious movies, from fast cars to thrilling car chases and jaw-dropping stunts.
Directed by Louis Leterrier, the movie follows Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) as he tries to protect his family from a new enemy duo, comprising Cipher (Charlize Theron) and Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa).
With most of the ensemble cast returning to reprise their roles, the movie promises to delight long-time fans of the Fast & Furious franchise. Viewers planning to catch the latest movie might want to know five things about the franchise before Fast X releases in theaters.
5 fun facts every Fast & Furious fan needs to know
1) The first film was based on a 1998 magazine article titled "Racer X"
The first film in the Fast & Furious franchise, The Fast and the Furious (2001) was inspired by an article titled "Racer X" by Ken Li, that director Rob Cohen read in Vibe Magazine in 1998. The article dealt with the street racing scene in New York City, specifically revolving around a Dominican street racer named Rafael Estevez and his transition into drag racing.
Cohen later convinced Universal Studios to buy the rights to the article from Li and make the film.
2) Timothy Olyphant was initially supposed to play the role of Dominic Toretto
Although fans cannot imagine anyone but Vin Diesel playing the role of Dom, he was not the first choice to play the lead character. Universal Studios initially planned to have Timothy Olyphant play the role. However, the actor declined since he had recently acted in a similar film, Gone in 60 Seconds (2000).
The iconic role eventually went to Vin Diesel at the suggestion of one of the film's producers, Neal Moritz.
3) Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster did not have driving licenses before the first film
For a film that revolves around cars and street racing, one would expect at least the main cast to be good drivers. However, both Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster, who play mainstay characters Letty Ortiz and Mia Toretto, respectively, did not have driving licenses before filming The Fast and the Furious.
The actresses were required to take their driving tests and attend special driving classes in Las Vegas before filming for the first film could begin.
4) Paul Walker's brothers helped complete the film after his death
Following Paul Walker's untimely death in 2013, the filming and production of Furious 7 was put on hold. The ending of the film was also rewritten to give Walker and his character, Brian O'Conner, a proper tribute.
Since Walker passed away before filming could be completed, the production crew had to use various methods to finish his scenes. Walker's unfinished scenes were created using CGI and old footage from previous film archives, as well as with the help of Walker's brothers Caleb and Cody, who came in as stunt doubles to help complete the film.
Furious 7 featured a lengthy tribute to Walker at the end, including a montage of the late actor's scenes throughout the Fast & Furious franchise.
5) The Rock's role was originally written for Tommy Lee Jones
The iconic character of Luke Hobbs was initially supposed to be played by Tommy Lee Jones. Vin Diesel revealed the story in a Facebook Q&A session, where he said that the role of Agent Hobbs was written for Tommy Lee Jones, who has previous experience of acting in action roles.
The role was later given to Dwayne Johnson upon suggestions from fans who wanted to see Diesel and Johnson on screen together. Vin Diesel explained:
"The reason we brought Dwayne Johnson into Fast 5 was because of you! There was a girl named Jan Kelly who said, 'I would love to see you work together on screen.' So the role that was originally written for Tommy Lee Jones, we gave it to Dwayne and he shined in it."
After making his first appearance on Fast Five, Johnson portrayed Luke Hobbs to such perfection that he went on to reprise his role in five more movies in the franchise, including a Fast & Furious spin-off.
Fast X will be released in theaters on May 19, 2023.
