F9 (film)

Encyclopedia

F9 (alternatively known as Fast & Furious 9) is an upcoming American action film directed by Justin Lin, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Daniel Casey. It is the sequel to The Fate of the Furious (2017), the ninth main installment, and the tenth full-length film released overall in the Fast & Furious franchise. The first film since Fast & Furious 6 (2013) to be directed by Lin and the first since 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) not to be written by Chris Morgan, the film will star Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, and Charlize Theron.

F9 was originally scheduled for worldwide release in April 2019, but was delayed several times, first due to the releases of Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and No Time to Die (2021), and then the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now officially scheduled for release on June 25, 2021.

Premise

After the events of The Fate of the Furious (2017), Dominic Toretto and his family must face Dominic’s younger brother Jakob, a deadly assassin, who is working with their old enemy Cipher, and who holds a personal vendetta against Dominic.

Cast

Further information on the characters: List of Fast & Furious characters
  • Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto, a former criminal and professional street racer who has retired and settled down with his wife, Letty, and his son, Brian Marcos.
  • Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz, Dom’s wife, and a former criminal and professional street racer.
  • Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce, an ex-habitual offender and a member of Dom’s team.
  • Chris “Ludacris” Bridges as Tej Parker, a mechanic from Miami and a member of Dom’s team.
  • John Cena as Jakob Toretto, Dom and Mia’s brother who is working as a master thief, assassin, and a high-performance driver.
  • Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto, Dom and Jakob’s sister and a former member of his team who has settled down with her partner, Brian O’Conner, and their two children.
  • Nathalie Emmanuel as Megan Ramsey, a British computer hacktivist and a member of Dom’s team.
  • Sung Kang as Han Lue, a former member of Dom’s team who was believed to have been killed.
  • Helen Mirren as Magdalene Shaw
  • Charlize Theron as Cipher, a criminal mastermind, and cyberterrorist who teams up with Jakob.

Additionally, Lucas Black reprises his role as Sean Boswell from previous films, while Bow Wow and Jason Tobin also reprise their roles as Twinkie and Earl Hu from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), respectively. Cardi B portrays Leysa, a woman who shares a history with Dom. Anna Sawai portrays Elle while Michael Rooker was cast as Buddy. Additionally, Finn Cole, Vinnie Bennett, Ozuna, and Francis Ngannou have been cast in undisclosed roles.

Production

Development

In November 2014, Universal Pictures chairwoman Donna Langley told The Hollywood Reporter that there would be at least three more films in the franchise after Furious 7 (2015). In October 2017, Diesel revealed in a Facebook live video that Justin Lin, who directed from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift through Fast & Furious 6, would be returning for the ninth and tenth films. In May 2018, Daniel Casey was hired to write the screenplay after Morgan left due to his work on the Hobbs and Shaw spin-off film.

Casting

In April 2017, Diesel and Dwayne Johnson confirmed their returns. In October 2017, Jordana Brewster, who portrayed Mia Toretto in five of the franchise’s films, would be returning for the ninth and tenth films. On April 4, 2018, Johnson stated that he was unsure if he was returning for the ninth film due to working on the spin-off, and he confirmed in January 2019 that he would not be appearing in the film.

In June 2019, John Cena was officially cast in the film, after an initial announcement from Diesel in April. In July 2019, Finn Cole, Anna Sawai, and Vinnie Bennett joined the cast of the film. That same month, it was announced Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron would reprise their roles, with Michelle Rodriguez was also confirmed to reprise her role.Michael Rooker and MMA Fighter Francis Ngannou were added to the cast in August. In October 2019, Ozuna and Cardi B joined the cast of the film.

Filming

Principal photography began on June 24, 2019, at Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire, England. Filming took place in Los Angeles, Edinburgh, and London, and also took place in Thailand for the first time, with Krabi, Ko Pha-ngan, and Phuket used as locations. Part of the film was also shot in Tbilisi, Georgia. Filming wrapped on November 11, 2019.

In July 2019, stuntman Joe Watts, who doubled for Diesel, sustained a serious head injury during filming at Leavesden Studios. In September 2020, Michelle Rodriguezconfirmed the film would be set in outer space as well, which was teased by Diesel.

Music

F9‘s official soundtrack will be released concurrently with the film. In the lead up to the soundtrack, a mixtape titled Road to F9 was released on July 31, 2020, and features music inspired by the film. The mixtape was preceded by the lead single “One Shot” by YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Lil Baby.

Release

F9 is scheduled to be released in the United States on June 25, 2021. The film was previously scheduled to be released in the United States on April 19, 2019, April 10, 2020, May 22, 2020, April 2, 2021, and May 28, 2021; the former two in 2020 is due to the releases of Hobbs & Shaw and No Time to Die while the latter two is due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before moving to its current date.

Future

F9 will be followed by a tenth installment. In October 2020, it was revealed that the series will conclude with a tenth and an eleventh installment, with Vin and the cast set to return for both.