Fast & Furious 9

The turbocharged franchise revs up its next huge installment...

DIRECTOR Justin Lin STARRING Vin Diesel, John Cena, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Charlize Theron, Sung Kang

The future of film has never felt more uncertain than right now. As major Hollywood players bet big on the streaming future at the expense of the debilitated exhibition industry, the outlook for cinemas certainly seems grim. But not if Vin Diesel has any say in the matter.

“I am so committed to the theatrical experience,” Diesel tells TF from his home in the Dominican Republic. It’s here that Diesel’s spent the year plotting the final two chapters in the Fast Saga (more on those later), recording his debut album (!) and remotely working on videogame Ark 2, where he plays a dinosaur hunter from the 24th century – you know, the typical lockdown experience. “Obviously, I’ve dedicated my life to [the cinema]. It’s so meaningful and so cherished. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that we’re going to be there on 28 May with a movie that everybody is going to want to see together.”

There are myriad reasons why even the most lavish home-cinema setup just won’t cut it for Fast & Furious 9, but hovering near the top of the list is director Justin Lin. After joining the family with underrated third entry Tokyo Drift (a film even Christopher Nolan has a “soft spot” for), Lin transformed the franchise into a turbo-charged juggernaut with series standout Fast Five. The London-set F&F6 was supposed to be the end of the road for Lin, wrapping up character arcs that had been in the planning since his earliest conversations with Diesel in 2005. But just when Lin thought he was out, they pulled him back in.