They didn’t go with our suggestion: Fast-TEN Your Seatbelts.
The titles of the movies in the Fast Saga are as likely to cause as much whiplash as any of the stunts in the movies themselves:
The Fast and the Furious. 2 Fast 2 Furious. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Fast & Furious. Fast Five. Fast & Furious 6. Furious 7. The Fate of the Furious. And most recently, F9.
While the recent drama behind-the-scenes has been just as tense as what unfolds on screen, star and producer Vin Diesel did confirm that the two upcoming Fast and Furious movies would be the final entries in the franchise.
And this week, to celebrate the first day of shooting the 10th movie, Diesel took to Instagram to announce the movie’s official title:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cck6QKJLpHS/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=51cdd756-6da6-41fd-b274-90d33cc8c9c2
Yep.
Fast X.
Incredible stuff.
While you might immediately think that this might be some reference to Vin Diesel’s other all-action franchise xXx, it actually reads like a subtle nod to the humble beginnings of the Fast Saga itself.
The very first movie came about when that movie’s director Rob Cohen and series producer Neil H. Moritz read an article in Vibe magazine about illegal street racing in New York City. And the name of that article, which was also rumoured to be the original title of the first movie? Racer X.
This might also be an indication that the series itself is going back to its smaller roots – less submarine chases and endless airport runways – as Moritz recently stated on the podcast The Town with Matthew Belloni:
“Honestly, I think going forward I’d like to actually go smaller. And I’d like to kind of start to go back to where we started. I think that’s an interesting way to go. I like to zig and then zag. I like to try and do something different and I think that’s what audiences demand these days.”
We’ll have a while to wait yet, as Fast X – which will see series regulars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Charlize Theron and Michael Rooker being joined by new cast additions Jason Momoa, Daniela Melchior and Brie Larson – won’t arrive in Irish cinemas until May 2023.
Until then, if you’re a fan of the Fast Saga, why not check out JOE’s four-episode spotlight special on Fast & Furious movies. The first episode is right here, with all episodes available wherever you get your podcasts:
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