Universal Pictures has released the first trailer forFast & Furious 9, officially titledF9. This is the next chapter in what is being billed as the Fast Saga, which brings back Vin Diesel once again as Dom Toretto, with the rest of his Fast Family for another action-packed round of craziness. But this time, there seems to be some more emotional stakes, as Dom now has his own family to worry about.
The lead up to the trailer reveal has been hyped up quite a bit by the studio. A series of posters and teasers led up to the bigThe Road to F9 concert and trailer event in Miami, which featured performances from the likes of Cardi B, Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth, Ozuna and Ludacris. Most franchises wouldn’t warrant this kind of a showing for a premiere, let alone a trailer drop. But this isUniversal’s biggest franchiseand it’s largely been built on excess. So, the idea of putting on a massive concert just to reveal this trailer is oddly fitting.
Things had been kept highly secretive about the ninth entry in the long-running series up until this trailer release. We knew some key elements, such as thereturn of Jordana Brewster as Miaand the addition of John Cena, as well as the fact that Dwayne Johnson won’t be appearing as Luke Hobbs for the first time sinceFast Five. But that has more to do with the release ofHobbs & Shawlast year than anything else. Be that as it may, this trailer gives us our first clear look at the future of the series, and it’s positioned as an emotional ride.
Justin Lin, who previously directedFast & Furious: Tokyo Drift,Fast & Furious,Fast FiveandFast & Furious 6, is returning to the franchise forFast & Furious 9. James Wan helmedFurious 7and F. Gary Gray was behind the camera forThe Fate of the Furious. Lin is largely responsible for turning the series into what it became, withFast Fivetruly marking a turning point. Since then, it has been trending upward and has become a major global moneymaker. Returning cast members include Michelle Rodriguez (Letty), Tyrese Gibson (Roman), Chris “Ludacris” Bridges (Tej), Nathalie Emmanuel (Ramsey), Charlize Theron (Cipher) and Helen Mirren (Magdalene Shaw).Newcomers to the series include wrestler-turned-actor John CenaandGuardians of the Galaxystar Michael Rooker.
Starting, somewhat unassumingly withThe Fast & the Furiousin 2001, the series has gone on to become one of the most successful franchises in modern cinema. Across eight entries and one spin-off, the movies have grossed more than $5.9 billion at the global box office. Plans are already in place for at least one more main entry, as well as further spin-offs.F9is set to hit theaters on May 22 fromUniversal Pictures. Be sure to check out the new trailer for yourself.
