Here we go again. Following the news that several tentpole releases, including the likes of No Time to Die and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, have once again been delayed, word is beginning to spread that other blockbusters will soon join the party, and it sounds like Fast & Furious 9will be among them. According to a new report, Universal Pictures are looking to push F9 to later in the year, moving the action flick to the end of the summer season as opposed to the beginning, allowing a little more time for the current circumstances to ease.
Current predictions on vaccine rollout claim that they won’t have full effect until late summer, and thus a delay would allow F9 to be released when audiences feel a little more comfortable about returning to theaters. Should this go ahead, we could be looking at another lacking summer season, with F9’s removal leaving a gaping, blockbuster sized hole.
F9 picks up with Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto now leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian. Of course, they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon, and this time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most. The Fast and Furious family must join together once again to stop a world-shattering plot led by Dom’s younger brother Jakob, a deadly assassin, who is working with their old enemy Cipher, and who holds a personal vendetta against Dom.
Directed by Justin Lin, F9 stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron and John Cena as Jakob Toretto. Fast and Furious 9 is expected to be the first movie in one last trilogy that will wrap up the long-running franchise.
The highly anticipated sequel has now been delayed several times amid the ongoing global situation, with talk turning to the possibility of a streaming release. Vin Disel though is committed to a traditional, theatrical release, with the actor recently stating, “I’m so committed to the theatrical experience. Obviously, I’ve dedicated my life to [the cinema]. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that we’re going to be there on May 28 with a movie that everybody is going to want to see together.”
Diesel is not alone, with his words echoing the sentiments of his F9 co-star and onscreen brother John Cena, who recently declared that the action sequel “is definitely a reason to go to the cinema.” The no-nonsense action franchise has been a huge success over the years, raking in millions and garnering a very passionate following, factors that will hopefully lead to audiences braving cinemas once it is safe to do so.
F9 is currently scheduled to hit theaters in the United States on May 28, 2021 after facing several delays from an original April 2019 release date. But, if you’re going to write it down in your date book, make sure you use a pencil. Should the movie be delayed, it will join the likes of No Time to Die, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Uncharted, Cinderella, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, and Morbius, all of which have now been pushed back. This comes to us courtesy of Variety.