Need for Speed is a 2014action crime film directed and co-edited byScott Waugh and written by George andJohn Gatins. It is the film adaptation of theracing video gamefranchise of the same name byElectronic Arts. The film starsAaron Paul,Dominic Cooper,Scott Mescudi in his feature film debut,Imogen Poots,Ramón Rodríguez,Rami Malek, andMichael Keaton. It tells the story of street racer Tobey Marshall, who sets off to race cross-country as a way of avenging his friend's death at the hands of a rival racer, Dino Brewster.

Need for Speed
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Scott Waugh
Screenplay by	George Gatins
Story by	George Gatins John Gatins
Based on	Need for Speed byElectronic Arts
Produced by	John Gatins Patrick O'Brien Mark Sourian
Starring	Aaron Paul Dominic Cooper Scott Mescudi Imogen Poots Ramón Rodríguez Michael Keaton
Cinematography	Shane Hurlbut
Edited by	Paul Rubell Scott Waugh
Music by	Nathan Furst
Production companies	DreamWorks Pictures[1] Reliance Entertainment[1] Electronic Arts[1] Bandito Brothers[1]
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures[a] (Select territories) Reliance Distribution[3] (India)
Release dates	March 7, 2014 (2014-03-07) (TCL Chinese Theatre) March 14, 2014 (2014-03-14) (United States)
Running time	130 minutes[4]
Countries	United States India[5]
Language	English
Budget	$66 million[6]
Box office	$203.3 million[6]

Need for Speed was distributed byWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through theTouchstone Pictures label on March 14, 2014. After its release, the film received negative reviews, criticizing its story, direction, and the performances of the supporting cast, though some praised Paul's performance. Despite grossing $203.3 million worldwide against a production budget of $66 million, the film was abox-office disappointment in the United States.

Tobey Marshall is a former race car driver who owns his late father's garage, Marshall Performance Motors, inMount Kisco, New York, where he and his friends tune performance cars. Struggling to make ends meet, he and his crew participate in street races after hours. Pete has a vision of Toby winning the De Leon. After a race, Tobey's former rival Dino Brewster conscripts them into completing the build of a rareFord Shelby Mustang worked on by the lateCarroll Shelby, in exchange for 25% of the car's sales revenue. The completed Mustang is displayed for auction at a party inNew York City. Tobey and Dino meet Julia Maddon, an English car broker whose client, Bill Ingram, wants to purchase the car if they can prove it will drive over 230 mph, as Tobey claims. Despite Dino's objections, Tobey takes the Mustang to a local race track and successfully drives it at 234 mph, convincing Ingram to purchase it for $2.7 million.

Enraged by Tobey's disobedience to his objections, Dino challenges Tobey and his friend Pete to a race after Pete flatly tells Dino that everyone knows Tobey is a better driver than him. Dino offers to relinquish his entire share of the Mustang sale if Tobey wins, otherwise Tobey will have to forfeit his share. He challenges them to race with his uncle's threeKoenigsegg Agera R cars illegally imported from Europe. On the home stretch, realizing he is about to lose the race, Dino intentionally rams into Pete's car, sending it down a ravine and killing Pete as it bursts into flames. Dino disappears from the scene, while Tobey is arrested by the police and sentenced to two years in prison for involuntary manslaughter, unable to prove Dino was there.

Upon his release on parole, Tobey sets out to avenge Pete's death. He borrows Ingram's Mustang to enter the De Leon, a winner-takes-allexotic carrace organized by the mysterious Monarch, but as a condition, Ingram requires Julia to accompany Tobey while Tobey is driving the Mustang. The pair have 45 hours to reachSan Francisco before the race starts. InDetroit, they cause an interstate chase with theMichigan State Police and upload the footage. Dino offers his rareLamborghini Sesto Elemento to anyone who can stop Tobey entering the race, causing a group of truckers to go after the Mustang as well. Julia retaliates by convincing Monarch of Tobey's innocence, securing his invitation to the De Leon.

InUtah, Tobey and Julia are ambushed by truckers, forcing them off the road. Benny, a member of Tobey's crew, appears in a military helicopter stolen from theNational Guard, and carries the Mustang mid-air to Tobey's crew at theBonneville Salt Flats, getting himself arrested in the process. Tobey and Julia reach San Francisco'sMark Hopkins Hotel in time to register for the race, but onNob Hill, a tow truck operated by one of Dino's henchmen smashes into the Mustang, wrecking it and injuring Julia. Desperate to get another car for the race, Tobey meets his ex-girlfriend and Pete's sister, Anita, who is now Dino's fiancée. Having discovered Dino's involvement in Pete's death, Anita gives Tobey the location of Dino's hidden Koenigsegg, which Tobey and crew member Joe extract. Tobey meets Julia at a San Francisco hospital, confessing his feelings for her with a kiss and letting her know that he has a "fast" car, and that this is for Pete.

The next morning, Tobey surprises Dino by not only showing up in the red Koenigsegg he drove when Pete was killed, but also giving him Anita's engagement ring, informing Dino that she is through with him.In the ensuing race along thePacific Coast Highway, the racers and pursuingCalifornia Highway Patrol officers crash one-by-one, leaving Tobey and Dino racing side-by-side. Dino attempts to ram Tobey the same way he killed Pete, but Tobey dodges, causing Dino to crash and flip over. Tobey pulls Dino from the wreckage before reaching the finish line, but not without punching Dino to avenge Pete; both are subsequently apprehended by the police, with Dino eventually convicted of the murder of Pete.

178 days later, Tobey is released, and Julia meets him at the prison gates in a2015 Ford Mustang. The couple drives to a prison in Utah, where Benny is getting released early for good behavior.

• Aaron Paul as Tobey Marshall, ablue-collar mechanic and skilled former race car driver fromMount Kisco, New York who isframed for afederal crime he didn't commit.
• Dominic Cooper as Dino Brewster, a formerIndy racer and Tobey's fierce rival.
• Imogen Poots as Julia Maddon, a savvy exotic car broker, who becomes Tobey's love interest.
• Scott Mescudi as Sergeant Benny "Maverick" Jackson, a member of Tobey's crew, and a former National Guard soldier. He is a pilot, able to fly small aeroplanes and helicopters, and is often called "Liar One" because fellow crew members don't believe he can fly a military helicopter, which he later proves. He owns aCessna 182.
• Ramon Rodriguez as Joe "Beasty" Peck, a member of Tobey's crew. He is the crew's professional mechanic, and drives a modified2011 Ford F-450 called "The Beast".
• Rami Malek as Finn, a member of Tobey's crew. He serves as the crew's computer expert, monitoring cameras to record races.
• Michael Keaton as "Monarch", a reclusive and eccentric host of an"underground"supercar race competition, De Leon. He operates from a lighthouse on a small farm where he lives.
• Dakota Johnson as Anita Coleman, Pete's older sister, Tobey's former girlfriend and Dino's fiancée.
• Harrison Gilbertson as Pete Coleman, Anita's younger brother and Tobey's protégé and friend.

In July 2012,DreamWorks Studios was committed to a film based on theNeed for Speed series of video games byElectronic Arts, initially with a release date of February 7, 2014, and later March 14, 2014.^[7] Brothers George andJohn Gatins had written a script that was being shipped to studios by April of that year.^[8]Taylor Kitsch was offered the lead role in July 2012,^[9] though the role eventually went toAaron Paul that October.^[10] Paul had originally auditioned for the role of Dino Brewster, although directorScott Waugh and DreamWorks headSteven Spielberg decided against that and cast him as the lead.^[11] The same month,Imogen Poots was cast as the female lead.^[12] In January 2013,Dominic Cooper,Scott Mescudi,Ramón Rodríguez,Rami Malek andHarrison Gilbertson were cast in the film.^[13]Michael Keaton was cast in February 2013.^[14]

Principal photography began inMacon, Georgia, in mid-April 2013.^[15] Other filming locations includeRoad Atlanta inBraselton, Georgia, on May 12, 2013,^[16] the 13th Street Bridge inColumbus, Georgia andPhenix City, Alabama, and Campus Martius inDetroit, Michigan, beginning on June 1, 2013.^[17][18] Other production locations include sections of California's Highway 1 north ofPoint Arena, thePoint Arena Lighthouse, andHighway 253 betweenBoonville andUkiah; and alsoHighway 128, between the town ofNavarro and the Navarro Bridge linking Highway 128 North to Highway 1 South to Point Arena.^{[citation needed]}

For the film's chase sequences, the filmmakers decided against the use ofcomputer-generated imagery, instead employingpractical effects, which required the cast to receive intensive driving lessons.^[11][19] All of the exotic cars seen in the film (with the exception of theMercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Roadster) werekit car replicas.

The film's soundtrack, composed byNathan Furst, was released byVarèse Sarabande on March 14, 2014.Interscope Records released a separateEP on April 8, 2014, which featured four songs; "Fortunate Son" and "Back in the Saddle" byAloe Blacc, "All Along the Watchtower" byJamie N Commons, and "Hero" byKid Cudi featuringSkylar Grey.Linkin Park's song "Roads Untraveled" from their 2012 albumLiving Things was also featured in the film.^[20]

On September 25, 2013, atrailer for the film was released oniTunes.^[21]Disney andDreamWorks Pictures announced the film's post-production conversion to3D on February 5, 2014.^[22]Need for Speed held its world premiere at theTCL Chinese Theatre on March 7, 2014.^[23] The film was released byWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through theTouchstone Pictures banner on March 14, 2014, in selected 3D,IMAX,4DX and 2D theaters.^[24] It was also released worldwide by Disney, except in certain international territories, where the rights are sold byMister Smith Entertainment to other distributors.Reliance Entertainment had released the film in India, whileEntertainment One released it in the United Kingdom.

The video gameNeed for Speed Rivals releaseddownloadable content (DLC) on March 11, 2014 which added cars that appeared in the movie to the game.^[25]

Need for Speed was released byTouchstone Home Entertainment onBlu-ray Disc,DVD and 3D Blu-ray on August 5, 2014.^[26]

Need for Speed grossed $43.6 million in North America and $159.7 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $203.3 million.^[6]

In North America, it topped the box office with $6.7 million on its opening Friday, March 14, 2014.^[27] However, the film finished in third place over the three-day weekend with $17.8 million.^[28][29] Outside North America, the film debuted in first place with $45.6 million on the same weekend as its North America release.^[30] It remained in first place for a second weekend.^[31] Overall, the film's largest territory is China, where both the film's opening weekend ($21.1 million)^[32] and its total earnings ($66.2 million)^[33] are higher than in North America. Following these two territories in total earnings is Russia and the CIS with $13.8 million.^[34]

OnRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 23% based on 186 reviews and an average rating of 4.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "With stock characters and a preposterous plot, this noisily diverting video game adaptation fulfills aNeed for Speed and little else."^[35] OnMetacritic, the film has a score of 39 out of 100 based on 38 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".^[36] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.^[37]

Michael Phillips of theChicago Tribune gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, remarking that "Paul has talent, though the actor's idea of simmering intensity in the context ofNeed for Speed comes off more like a serial killer in the making. Cooper, by contrast, seems to be having some fun playing a dashing, dastardly, sexy beast." Phillips added, "At its occasional best, the thrills in the film recall the delirious fun of theFast & Furious franchise."^[38] Betsy Sharkey ofLos Angeles Times felt similarly, writing "In trying for the vicarious varoom of the street-racing video game that inspired it, and no doubt dreaming ofFast success,Speed clocks in at a long two-plus hours and falls painfully short."^[39] Jason Torchinsky of the automotive blogJalopnik decried the movie for insultinggearheads with its far-reachingsuspension of disbelief on many plot points and tropes and stated the film was nothing more than a glorified car commercial for the2015 Ford Mustang.^[40]

Danny Korecki of automotive outletThe Drive discussed the thought that the Need for Speed film may have been better had it been a TV series.^[41]

A.O. Scott ofThe New York Times gave a more positive review, praising the film's car chase sequences, while declaring the overall film "an energetic, unpretentiousB movie".^[42]

In 2015,China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises teamed up withEA Games to develop a sequel to be set and shot in China.^[43]

• List of films based on video games

• Need for Speed atIMDb
• Need for Speed atRotten Tomatoes