WENN
Perhaps sensing that the preposterous Fast & Furious franchise had run its course, Universal wisely invested in a Dwayne Johnson & Jason Statham spin-off, which already sounds more entertaining than Fast & Furious in theory.
Well, we can now confirm that The Rock & Statham’s spin-off, apparently titled Hobbs & Shaw (like Starsky & Hutch but on steroids, I guess) is officially more interesting than the Fast franchise because they’ve added Idris Elba as the villain. The Rock, Jason Statham and Idris Elba in an action movie? Seriously, what more could a dude want in a summer movie?
Oh, and I didn’t even mention that David Leitch — the guy who directed John Wick & Deadpool 2 — is attached to direct. A murderers row of action movie-making.
via Variety:
Idris Elba is in final negotiations to play the main villain in “Hobbs and Shaw,” the “Fast and Furious” spinoff starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham. The film will see the often-at-odds pair teaming up. Sources say Elba’s character is the antagonist the duo will go up against.
“Deadpool 2” director David Leitch is on board to helm, with Johnson and Statham reprising their roles as special agent Luke Hobbs and criminal mastermind Deckard Shaw, respectively. “Fast and Furious” architect Chris Morgan penned the script, with production set to commence this fall.
Since his arrival in the franchise’s fifth installment, Universal has tried to find a way to spin off Johnson’s Hobbs character, given his popularity with fans. Statham joined the series in the seventh movie, and considering the chemistry between the two actors in 2017’s “The Fate of the Furious,” Universal took action on plans to develop a spinoff. It hits theaters on July 26, 2019.
Hobbs & Shaw is set to begin production this fall, which would put it on schedule for a Spring/Summer 2020 release date.
As a guy who has never loved the Fast franchise, I can already tell you I’m all in on the Hobbs & Shaw franchise.
