With a seventh installment that broke box office records, and an eighth on the way, the Fast & Furious franchise is stronger now than it's ever been. Fans are waiting for Fast 8 as much as any other blockbuster movie, and now there's a way to get an early look. The movie which started it all, The Fast & the Furious, is back in theaters for today only and attached to the movie will be a special cast introduction and a look behind the scenes at Fast 8.
The Fast and the Furious was released on June 22, 2001, which makes today the 15th anniversary of the launch of what would, eventually, become a massive franchise. In celebration, theaters around the country will be screening the original movie and Universal has announced that those screenings will also include a special look at the next entry, Fast 8. Filming for Fast 8 began in March and the movie is set for release in April of next year.
The Fast & Furious franchise is an interesting one. While it has produced seven movies so far, with at least three more on the way, celebrating the first one feels odd because it's not that great a movie. While all of the films were reasonable successful financially, the first four of them were critically panned. However, something strange happened after that. Starting with Fast Five the movies actually got quite good. Critics came around on the series, and the franchise became not simply profitable, but a box office powerhouse. Furious 7 broke box office records in both America, and overseas as well.
This has made the series popular among viewers and Hollywood as well. Fast 8 is building up an all-star cast that includes previous members like Vin Diesel, The Rock, and Jason Statham, as well as newcomers like Charlize Theron and even Helen Mirren. It seems that everybody wants to become a part of the juggernaut that is Fast & Furious. Check out the special trailer celebrating the 15th anniversary of the start of the franchise.
Are you planning to make a special mid-week trip to the theater to check this one out on the big screen again? Let us know if you're looking forward to learning more about Fast 8, or just excited to see the original movie in the theaters one more time in the comments below.
