‘Fast and Furious 9’: Could this new installment save the dying franchise?

‘Fast and Furious 9’: Could this new installment save the dying franchise?

If you’re into fast cars and hot people, then look no further than the newest edition to the Fast & Furious franchise!

The Fast & Furious new movie Fast & Furious 9 came in hot this weekend, pulling in $70 million during its opening. According to BBC News, Fast & Furious 9 “is the most successful film to be released since the Covid-19 pandemic began”. That’s an incredible feat for a theater-only release during the ongoing pandemic.

Box Office Numbers in a Pandemic

This isn’t the first theater-only release this year. In fact, A Quiet Place II pulled $6.2 million in its opening weekend. One could argue that the availability of the COVID-19 vaccination played an important part in why the opening numbers are so different.

People were getting vaccinated back in May, but many more were waiting for availability or to see how others were reacting. But the number of people getting vaccinated by the opening of the Fast & Furious new installment had significantly increased. So, the number of people willing to go to the theaters also went up significantly.

However, one cannot argue with the fact that the Fast & Furious franchise (and yes, it has an entire franchise) has been going strong since its first release. The Fast & the Furious pulled over $40 million in its opening weekend back in 2001. The franchise has produced nothing but global hits ever since, so it makes sense that it would continue to break records, even while many people are still stuck in the house.

Fast & Furious: Brief history

Fans worried about the continuation of the franchise back in 2013 when Paul Walker died. Famous for his portrayal of Brian O’Connor, Walker died in an unfortunate car accident in California. There were rumors that production of the franchise would permanently shut down, but there were also rumors that he might be replaced — which was even more upsetting as O’Connor was such an iconic part of the franchise.

Fans need not worry, though! The Fast & Furious new installment cements that new additions to the cast aren’t to replace any former characters. The franchise has shown the ability to introduce new characters without making them feel like replacements.

The introduction of John Cena’s character is an example. It’s not an attempt to replace Walker. Rather, he represents a new face, a compelling story, and a new angle on a familiar theme — family.

F9: Official release

The tagline for the Fast & Furious new installment is “no matter how fast you are, no one outruns their past”. In the movie, this means trouble for the Toretto family. The newest installment sees Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) coming out of retirement to confront his past, including his brother (John Cena). Toretto is joined by the usual characters: Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) and Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez). This is Cena’s first appearance in the franchise, but, in true Fast & Furious fashion, it definitely won’t be his last.

In the box office, that tagline almost promises that the franchise will never lose the street cred that drew fans to it in the first place. Even during a pandemic, the Fast & Furious franchise can rely on fans because it has a little something for everyone.

The family aspect introduces a new, soon-to-be-adopted-into-the-Toretto-family face in each film. The action aspect involves increasingly convoluted car tricks that never fail to impress and inspire some of the funniest memes.

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