| F9 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Justin Lin |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Based on | Characters byGary Scott Thompson |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Stephen F. Windon |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Brian Tyler |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Universal Pictures[1][2] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 143 minutes[3] |
| Country | United States[2] |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $200–225 million[4][5] |
| Box office | $726.2 million[6][7] |
F9 (also known asF9: The Fast Saga orFast & Furious 9) is a 2021 Americanaction film directed byJustin Lin, who co-wrote the screenplay withDaniel Casey.[8] The sequel toThe Fate of the Furious (2017), it is the ninth mainline installment and the tenth installment overall in theFast & Furious franchise. It starsVin Diesel asDominic "Dom" Toretto, alongsideMichelle Rodriguez,Tyrese Gibson,Chris "Ludacris" Bridges,John Cena,Nathalie Emmanuel,Jordana Brewster,Sung Kang,Michael Rooker,Helen Mirren,Kurt Russell, andCharlize Theron. In the film, Dom and his team aim to stop his estranged brotherJakob Toretto and his financier, Otto, from activating Project Aries, a dangerous advanced weapons program.
With a ninth film planned since 2014, Lin was confirmed as director in October 2017, returning to the franchise since directingFast & Furious 6 (2013).F9 is the first film in the franchise since2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) to not be written byChris Morgan.Dwayne Johnson, who appeared in the previous four films, was announced to return in April 2017, but confirmed his absence in January 2019. The rest of the cast was finalized with the addition of John Cena six months later.Brian Tyler returned to compose the score.[9]Principal photography began in June 2019 and lasted until that November, with filming locations includingLondon,Edinburgh,Tbilisi,Los Angeles andThailand.
F9 was originally scheduled for release byUniversal Pictures on April 19, 2019, but was delayed several times due to the release of the spin-off filmHobbs & Shaw (2019), the planned release ofMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer'sJames Bond filmNo Time to Die (2021), and theCOVID-19 pandemic.[10][11][12] It was first released in South Korea on May 19, 2021; and then released in the United States on June 25.[13] The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the stunts, Lin's direction, action sequences and the performances of the cast, while it was criticized for its plot and revision of tropes. It set several pandemic box office records and grossed $726.2 million worldwide, becoming thefifth-highest-grossing film of 2021. It was followed byFast X in 2023.
In 1989, Jack Toretto participates in alate model race on ashort track, with his sonsDominic "Dom" andJakob working in the pit crew. Dom argues with rival racer Kenny Linder about his dirty tactics. During the race, Linder's car clips Jack's bumper, causing his car to crash, killing him. A week after, Dom is arrested for beating Linder to near-death. While serving his sentence, Dom recalls that Jakob had worked on Jack's car the day he died and concludes that Jakob killed Jack. Upon release, Dom confronts and challenges Jakob to a race, forcing him to leave town when Jakob loses.
In the present day, Dom is retired and raising his son Brian[a] with his wifeLetty Ortiz.Roman Pearce,Tej Parker andRamsey arrive with a news that shortly after arrestingCipher,Mr. Nobody's plane was attacked by rogue agents, who abducted Cipher and crashed in Montequinto, a fictionalCentral American country. Dom agrees to help them after realizing Jakob is involved. Searching the plane, they find part of a device calledProject Aries, which can hack into any computer weapons system. The team is ambushed by a private army led by Jakob, who steals the device.Michael Stasiak helps Dom's crew escape to their safe house at the Caspian Sea and Dom's sisterMia arrives to help. The team learns thatHan Lue is connected to Project Aries, at which point, Letty and Mia leave forTokyo to investigate.
Meanwhile, Jakob meets with Otto, Jakob's associate and financier. Cipher, who is being held at their base, tells Jakob that the other half of Aries is inEdinburgh. Dom meets his father's mechanic Buddy, who took Jakob after his exile, and learns that Jakob is inLondon. In Tokyo, Letty and Mia find Han alive, along with his ward Elle. Roman and Tej travel to Germany to recruitSean Boswell,Twinkie andEarl Hu, who have been working on a "rocket car". In London, Dom meetsQueenie Shaw, who gives him Jakob's location. Dom confronts Otto and Jakob at a party held at Otto's mansion; Otto has Dom arrested, but Leysa, Dom's old friend, rescues him. Tej, Roman and Ramsey join Dom in Edinburgh, where Jakob uses an electromagnet to steal the other half of the Project Aries. Tej and Roman find the truck containing the electromagnet; as they fight Otto's men, Ramsey commandeers the truck to chase after Otto.
Dom intercepts Jakob and the two fight throughout the city. Before Otto can extract Jakob, Ramsey runs his car off the road and uses the electromagnet to capture Jakob. At the safe house, Han reveals that Mr. Nobody assigned him to protect Elle and Project Aries as Elle's DNA is itsbiometric activation key. When Jakob went rogue and teamed up with Otto, they usedDeckard Shaw to fake Han's death[b] and protect Elle. Otto and his men attack the safehouse and free Jakob, who reveals to Dom that Jack, wanting to escape deep debt, had instructed Jakob to tamper with his car tothrow the race. Jakob and Otto kidnap Elle and take the other half of the Project Aries. Otto launches a satellite into orbit, while Jakob has Elle activate Aries. They begin uploading Aries to the satellite, moving in an armored truck throughoutTbilisi.
Dom, Letty, Mia, Ramsey and Han race to stop the upload. As Mia and Han try to breach the truck, Otto reveals that he and Cipher have teamed up and throws Jakob off the truck. Jakob is rescued by Dom and Mia, where he helps them access the truck. Tej and Roman enter orbit and destroy the satellite using the rocket car, stopping the upload. Cipher bombs the truck using aUAV in an attempt to kill Dom, but unintentionally kills Otto. Dom uses the ricocheting truck to destroy Cipher's drone, which is revealed to be simulated, and Cipher escapes. Dom and Mia reconcile with Jakob and Dom allows him to escape custody by giving him the keys to his car, finally forgiving Jakob. Tej and Roman reach theInternational Space Station and return safely to Earth. The team celebrates their success with a barbecue at Dom's house. While preparing to say grace,Brian O'Conner's car arrives in the driveway.
In amid-credits scene, Deckard comes face-to-face with Han and is shocked to see him alive.
Additionally,J. D. Pardo portrays Jack Toretto,Jim Parrack portrays Kenny Linder,Martyn Ford portrays Sue, andCardi B portrays Leysa, a woman who shares history with Dom and Magdalene.[24][22] Karson Kern andIgby Rigney portray young versions of Vince and Jesse, respectively.[16]
Lucas Black,Don Omar, andShea Whigham reprise their respective roles as Sean Boswell, Santos, and Agent Michael Stasiak from previous films,[19] whileShad Moss andJason Tobin also reprise their respective roles as Twinkie and Earl fromThe Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006).[25][19] Cered andOzuna portray young versions of Leo and Santos, respectively.[26]Jason Statham reprises his role as Deckard Shaw in an uncreditedcameo appearance during the end credits,[27] and Puerto Rican rapperBad Bunny appears as Lookout.[28]Gal Gadot appears asGisele Yashar through archival footage.[29]
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In November 2014,Universal Pictures chairwomanDonna Langley confirmed that a discussion regarding three sequels toFurious 7 (2015) had taken place.[30] ActorVin Diesel reaffirmed this in September 2015, alluding the trilogy could lead to the mainline series' conclusion.[31]Furious 7 (2015)film directorJames Wan was originally contractually hired to directThe Fate of the Furious (2017) and this film, but the studio let him go after he told them about his wishes to makeThe Conjuring 2 (2016), asequel to his previoushorror filmThe Conjuring (2013), and firmly declined directing boththe eighth film and this film due tothe seventh film's demanding production impacting on his health.[32] In October 2017, Diesel revealed in aFacebook live video thatJustin Lin, who directed every film fromThe Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) throughFast & Furious 6 (2013), would be returning to direct this film andFast X (2023).[33][34] In May 2018,Daniel Casey was hired to write the screenplay afterChris Morgan left due to his work onHobbs & Shaw (2019).[35]Neal H. Moritz returned as producer after being left out ofHobbs & Shaw (2019) due to issues withUniversal Pictures.
In April 2017,Vin Diesel andDwayne Johnson stated that they would return.[36] In October 2017,Jordana Brewster, who portrayed Mia Toretto in five of the franchise's films, was set to reprise her role for the ninth and tenth entries.[33] On April 4, 2018, Johnson stated that he was now unsure if would return for this film due to working onHobbs & Shaw (2019),[37] and he confirmed in January 2019 that neither he norJason Statham would be returning and reprising their roles as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw respectively for this film due to production ofHobbs & Shaw (2019).[38] Ultimately Statham only made acameo appearance during themid-credits scene.[27]
In June 2019,John Cena was officially cast in the film, after an initial announcement from Diesel in April.[17] In July 2019,Finn Cole,Anna Sawai, andVinnie Bennett joined the cast of the film.[15] That same month, it was announcedHelen Mirren andCharlize Theron would reprise their roles,[21] withMichelle Rodriguez also confirmed to return.[39]Michael Rooker and MMA FighterFrancis Ngannou[40] were added to the cast in August.[20] In October 2019,Ozuna andCardi B joined the cast of the film.[26][24]
Principal photography began on June 24, 2019, atLeavesden Studios inHertfordshire, England.[41] Filming took place in Los Angeles,Edinburgh,[42][43] and London,[44] and also took place in Thailand for the first time, withKrabi,Ko Pha-ngan, andPhuket used as locations.[45] Part of the film was also shot inTbilisi, Georgia.[46][47] Filming wrapped on November 11, 2019.[48]
In July 2019, stuntman Joe Watts, who doubled for Diesel, sustained a serious head injury during filming at Leavesden Studios.[49][50] In September 2020,Michelle Rodriguez confirmed the film would be set in outer space as well, which was teased by Diesel.[51]
Dylan Highsmith, Kelly Matsumoto and Greg D'Auria served as the film's editors, with additional editing provided by David Kern. Peter Chiang, who worked with Lin onStar Trek Beyond (2016), served as the overall visual effects supervisor withDNEG,Industrial Light & Magic,Lola VFX, Stereo D and Factory VFX as the vendors. DNEG also converted the film to 3D.
On July 31, 2020, amixtape titledRoad to F9 was released, and features music inspired by the film. The mixtape was preceded by the lead single "One Shot" byYoungBoy Never Broke Again andLil Baby.[52]
Trailers for the film included the songs "Family" byThe Chainsmokers andKygo, "Is You Ready" byMigos and "Selah" byKanye West.[53]
The official soundtrack was released on June 17, 2021.[54] The score album, composed by Brian Tyler was released on July 2, 2021.
F9 had its world premiere in South Korea on May 19, 2021,[55] the United Kingdom on June 24 and was released in the United States on June 25.[56] The film had five previous planned release dates in the United States between 2019 and 2021. These shifts were reportedly made due to the releases ofHobbs & Shaw and theJames Bond filmNo Time to Die (2021), as well as theCOVID-19 pandemic.[57]
F9 was released onBlu-ray,Ultra HD Blu-ray, andDVD on September 21, 2021, byUniversal Pictures Home Entertainment.[58] These media featured the theatrical version and adirector's cut version, with the latter being 7 minutes longer.[59] The film is also offered as aultra-high-definition steelbook featuring the poster alongside both versions of the film.[60] It was released as a rental onVOD services in the United States on July 30, 2021.[61]F9 was also released on Blu-Ray and DVD on October 11, 2021. In January 2022, tech firm Akami reported thatF9 was the fourth most pirated film of 2021.[62]F9 was released onHBO Max on March 4, 2022.
F9 grossed $173 million in the United States and Canada, and $553.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $726.2 million.[6][7] It was thefifth-highest-grossing film of 2021.[63]
In the United States and Canada,F9 was projected to gross $55–65 million from 4,179 theaters in its opening weekend.[64] The film made $30 million on its first day (including $7.1 million from Thursday night previews), both the best such totals of the pandemic period. It went on to debut to $70 million, the highest-grossing weekend sinceStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ($72.4 million) in December 2019. Like previousFast & Furious films, the audience was diverse (with 37% Hispanic, 35% Caucasian, 16% Black and 8% Asian) and skewed to both younger (51% under the age of 25) and male (57%) crowds.[65][4] In its second weekend, the film fell 65% to $23 million, remaining atop the box office.[66] With Universal'sF9,The Boss Baby: Family Business, andThe Forever Purge finishing in the top three spots, it marked the first time a single studio accomplished the feat since February 2005.[67] It also crossed $100 million domestically and $500 million internationally in record time for the COVID-19 pandemic era.[68] The film made $11.4 million but was dethroned by newcomerBlack Widow the following weekend, then made $7.6 million in its fourth frame, finishing in fourth.[69][70]
Over its five-day international opening weekend, beginning May 19,F9 was projected to gross $160–180 million from eight countries, including China, Russia, and South Korea.[71] It went on to debut to $163 million, the biggest international opening for a Hollywood film since the pandemic began in March 2020. It also set the pandemic-record for IMAX gross ($14 million), and was the second-biggest May international opening ever, despite playing in 26 fewer countries than the current record holder,Captain America: Civil War. The top markets from the weekend were China ($136 million; the second biggest-ever opening of the franchise in the country), South Korea ($9.9 million), Russia ($8.3 million), Saudi Arabia ($2.67 million), and the UAE ($2.64 million).[72] In its second weekend of international release the film made $30.8 million, including $20.3 million (-85%) in China and $3.7 million (-42%) in South Korea.[73]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 60% of 315 critics gaveF9 a positive review, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "F9 sends the franchise hurtling further over the top than ever, but director Justin Lin's knack for preposterous set pieces keeps the action humming."[74] According toMetacritic, which assigned a weighted average of 58 out of 100 based on 54 critics, the film received "mixed or average" reviews.[75] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale (becoming the firstFast & Furious film to receive such a rating sincethe original 2001 film), whilePostTrak reported 80% of audience members gave it a positive score, with 62% saying they would definitely recommend it.[65]
FromTheWrap,Alonso Duralde summarized the film by writing that "Physics, gravity, and logic in general have long since been thrown out the window, but the jolts of pleasure keep coming."[76] Matt Patches ofPolygon criticized the film for its lack of characterization, saying, "After 20 years ofFast films, Dom is a totally functional blockbuster superhero," and that "F9 counteracts any character development by devoting a grating amount of time to meta-commentary on its own ridiculousness." However, he also praised Lin's direction and the set pieces by writing, "Each location fills Lin's pockets with the currency of imagination, which he cashes in with absolute delight. Where previous installments built off the glory ofThe Italian Job,The French Connection, andMad Max: Fury Road,F9 finds inspiration in the Harlem Globetrotters. The cars catch falling bystanders, flip over enemy off-roaders, and stage intricately choreographed attacks using amped-up magnets."[77]
Variety'sOwen Gleiberman found one of the opening scenes to be "the suspenseful high point of the movie," and wrote, "The scene is so over-the-top ludicrous that it's [as] if the filmmakers were saying, 'Let's put what would have been the grand climax ofFast and Furious 4 in the opening half hour.' Good enough. But what do you do for an encore?"[78] Writing forThe Hollywood Reporter, John DeFore said that the feature "probably sounds like more fun than it is," and concluded his generally negative review by saying that "Furious 7 was a lot more fun. And, not that anyone cares, but it was more believable as well."[79] Meanwhile,IndieWire's David Ehrlich gave a more negative response with a C+ rating, and praised Lin's direction, writing, "This is a movie that sling-shots so far past self-parody that it loops all the way back to something real."[80] Jesse Hassenger ofThe A. V. Club also gave the film a C+ rating, remarking that "Lin's writing just isn't as fleet as his directing—and his directing inF9 isn't as fleet as his work onFast Five orFast & Furious 6." He added, "The problem is all the runway in between the highlights, even longer than the endless literal concrete of theFast & Furious 6 climax. After a reinvention as a warmer, more diverseMission: Impossible (practically name-checked here), the series has wound up more like a mid-period James Bond movie in its channel-surfing bloat."[81]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Trailer Awards | July 22, 2021 | Best Action | "Path" (AV Squad) | Nominated | [82] |
| Best Summer Blockbuster Trailer | "Path" (AV Squad) | Won | |||
| Best Summer Blockbuster TV Spot (for a Feature Film) | "Risk Super Bowl :30" (AV Squad) | Nominated | |||
| October 6, 2022 | The Don LaFontaine Award for Best Voice Over | "Dom's Story" (Ignition) | Nominated | [83] [84] | |
| Best Summer Blockbuster TV Spot (for a Feature Film) | "Risk Super Bowl :30" (AV Squad) | Nominated | |||
| ICG Publicists Awards | March 25, 2022 | Maxwell Weinberg Publicists Showmanship Motion Picture Award | F9 | Nominated | [85] |
| Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | April 9, 2022 | Favorite Movie Actor | Vin Diesel | Nominated | [86] |
| John Cena | Nominated | ||||
| People's Choice Awards | December 7, 2021 | Movie of 2021 | F9 | Nominated | [87] |
| Action Movie of 2021 | F9 | Nominated | |||
| Male Movie Star of 2021 | Vin Diesel | Nominated | |||
| John Cena | Nominated | ||||
| Female Movie Star of 2021 | Charlize Theron | Nominated | |||
| Action Movie Star of 2021 | Vin Diesel | Nominated | |||
| John Cena | Nominated | ||||
| Charlize Theron | Nominated | ||||
| Saturn Awards | October 25, 2022 | Best Action or Adventure Film | F9 | Nominated | [88] [89] |
Fast X was released on May 19, 2023.[90] AlthoughFast X was reported as the final mainline installment of the franchise, an eleventh film,Fast Forever (2028), is in production.[91][92]
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