It's rare to see a franchise get a definitive line drawn under it these days when name recognition is king and studios are always looking for a guaranteed hit. That said, reports indicate that's exactly what Universal Pictures is planning to do with its highly popular Fast & Furious franchise. Deadline broke the story that Justin Lin is set to direct two more films in the franchise, after which the film series that has run for nearly two decades will finally come to a close.
Of course, Justin Lin is still wrapping up post production on Fast & Furious 9, meaning there's still a lot of time and unanswered questions between audiences and these final installments. Some have suggested that the final two films will tell a bigger overarching story featuring the main cast, similar to how other big series like Harry Potter and Avengers have handled their climactic installments. It's a big decision, especially for Universal Pictures' highest grossest property, garnering over $5.7 billion dollars across all the different films.
That doesn't mean that this would be the permanent end of any Fast & Furious content forever, of course. The series still has some spin-offs and TV shows planned as well, which likely means these last two movies will be more of a symbolic final bow than the true exit of the franchise. It's a series that has survived a lot of changes, going from a more grounded racing movie with the first, to the over the top vehicle action that the franchise has become famous for. No series can continue forever though, and it's nice to see a beloved property getting a proper send-off rather than being dragged out until it dies a slow death.
There seems to be a good chance that the final two films will be produced by Vin Diesel and his production company via his One Race Films banner. The latest film, Fast and Furious 9, continues the story of the main cast and adds a few new mega-stars to the lineup. Notable additions include John Cena, Cardi B, and Helen Mirren. Hopefully it sets the stage for a closing act that does the franchise justice.
Source: Deadline