Tag: Vin Diesel

  • Something special happens when fans see ‘Fast and Furious’ in theatres: Vin Diesel on ‘F9’ release

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Hollywood star Vin Diesel says people have grown up with the “Fast and Furious” franchise, which is why it was important for the team to ensure that the ninth chapter is part of the return to the theatrical experience.

    “Fast & Furious 9” or “F9”, which marks director Justin Lin’s return to the long-running action series, is all set to release in theatres worldwide on June 25. Diesel, who has been the face of the franchise since its inception two decades ago, said he has always believed that the film is best suited for theatres.

    The 53-year-old actor said no one would have anticipated how the pandemic was going to impact human interaction, and that makes the film’s theatrical release more special.

    “It feels incredible to be a part of something that will bring the world together. I think we as a society never anticipated we’d be losing by not being able to be entertained together as a community,” Diesel said in a global press conference via Zoom, of which PTI was also a part.

    ALSO READ | We are crazy: Vin Diesel on ‘Fast & Furious 9’ taking flight to space

    The actor spoke fondly of people watching previous “Fast & Furious” movies in a packed theatre with their family, friends and loved ones and making a holiday out of it.

    “To be part of the return to the theatrical experience is something that feels so right, and something I feel so proud of, and to do it with my family that has been doing it for two decades, is a dream come true,” he added.

    Diesel said they would have never guessed that they would be doing an international press conference 20 years ago but they have now built a relationship with fans globally.

    “I think the greatest difference is when the first film came out. You had no idea who these characters were. You had no idea about what world you were entering when you came to the theatre to see this movie.

    “Now people feel as though they have grown up with this saga. People feel like this is their franchise.”

    The actor said every time they begin a new installment, the first question that comes to their mind is “how do we reach higher? How do we dazzle the audience, or engage the audience even more?” Director Lin, who previously directed four consecutive installments — “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” (2006), “Fast & Furious” (2009), “Fast Five” (2011), and “Fast & Furious 6” (2013), said they were always committed to the theatrical experience.

    He said the pandemic has made the film “more timely” and credited Universal Pictures for holding on to the release and working out the right strategy to bring the film to theatres.

    “We were actually very committed to the cinema experience. I thank the studio for this,” Lin said.

    “I’ve been fortunate enough to make TV shows and indie movies and there are things that are okay to watch on at home, but not this (‘F9’). That was so important to us and to have a partner in Universal that realised that and acknowledged that, it means everything,” he added.

    Asked about returning to the franchise after a long gap, Lin said he may not have directed recent chapters but he stayed in touch with Diesel and the rest of the team.

    “I didn’t want to come back unless it was for the right reason,” he said, adding that the film evolved during his discussion with Diesel.

    The idea, he said, was to push the envelope on the high-octane action sequences that fans of the franchise have come to expect.

    “What I love is that every time we get to do one of these we earn it.

    It means that people want to see these characters and their journey continue.

    What’s really special about F9 is that we now have eight other chapters, and there’s a lot of unanswered questions that I think we get to really explore.

    “I feel like we’ve kind of finally earned the right to really look back a little bit, and all our characters have something that they have to kind of come to terms with or make a decision before they can move forward,” the director said.

    The film also stars Michelle Rodriguez, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron.

  • We are crazy: Vin Diesel on ‘Fast & Furious 9’ taking flight to space

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: “Fast & Furious” franchise is pulling off another over-the-top stunt sequence in its ninth chapter by going to space, an idea that lead star Vin Diesel says was a “crazy contribution” from director Justin Lin.

    Diesel, whose character Dominic Toretto has been at the forefront of the franchise, known for its crazy car chases and high-octane action sequences, said when Lin told him about the idea, his “jaw was on the ground”.

    “It’s delicious. We are crazy,” Diesel said in a global press conference via Zoom, of which PTI was also a part.

    On Wednesday, Universal Pictures released the latest trailer for the highly-anticipated film.

    In one of the sequences, Tyrese Gibson’s Roman Pearce and Ludacris’ Tej Parker are seen in space suits, taking their car converted to a rocket ship and going to the edge of outer space.

    The idea to venture into space first emerged as a joke from screenwriter Chris Morgan before the release of the eighth installment, “The Fate of the Furious” in 2017.

    But the latest chapter has turned it into a reality now.

    Both Lin and Diesel brainstormed on the idea together with the director also consulting rocket scientists to neatly pull off the stunt sequence.

    “Research was done. Justin and I would go off and brainstorm everything and it was a crazy contribution from Justin. My jaw was on the ground because I was like it’s delicious. We are crazy.”

    For Lin, “Fast & Furious 9” or “F9” marks his return to the franchise after he previously directed four consecutive installments — “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” (2006), “Fast & Furious” (2009), “Fast Five” (2011) and “Fast & Furious 6” (2013).

    The filmmaker said the much-talked-about action sequence in the latest installment is “very organic” and completely in sync with what they are trying to achieve with the franchise.

    “I think this journey, I feel like it’s been earned, every relationship with a fan from globally has been earned. So I think it’s our responsibility, every time that we get an opportunity, to really kind of push it. To me, it was not like an agenda or something that we had to do.”

    The director, whose credits also include “Star Trek Beyond” and another upcoming “Fast and Furious” movie as well as the “Bourne Legacy” sequel, said the franchise has a lot of meaning to him.

    “It was just very organic and in the spirit, in the essence of what we’re trying to do with this franchise. To me actually, it has way more meaning than a kind of physical act. I think creatively, even before the world has seen it, it has more profound meanings than I intended,” Lin added.

    Diesel, 53, agreed with the director.

    “What this saga has done is, it gives you a spectacle but behind it, there is always meaning. And when you see it, and you see the storyline of the characters that are there, they’re so perfectly placed. There’s a storyline that runs through the movie that has to deal with their characters’ evolution.”

    “I noticed that people are gonna be like ‘you really just did that!’. And that’s the fun. Again it’s a fascinating thing to always elevate the spectacle, but as much as we are seemingly elevating the grand spectacle of the movie, we’re always digging deeper,” the Hollywood star, who plays Dominic Toretto in the franchise and has been its part from the beginning, said.

    The film also stars Michelle Rodriguez, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron.

    Universal Pictures is releasing “Fast & Furious 9” on June 25 in theatres.

  • Vin Diesel’s son to make acting debut in ‘Fast and Furious 9’

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: American actor Vin Diesel is going to share screen space with a special someone in the upcoming ‘Fast and Furious’ installment.

    As per Variety, the actor’s 10-year-old son, Vincent Sinclair, will make his acting debut in ‘F9’ as the younger version of his father’s beloved character, Dominic Toretto. He filmed his scenes back in 2019 and reportedly received a daily rate of USD 1,005.

    Diesel shares Vincent with his longtime model girlfriend Paloma Jimenez. The pair are also proud parents to daughters Hania Riley and Pauline.

    The younger Dominic was last played by Alex McGee during a flashback scene in the 2015 film ‘Furious 7’.

    ‘Fast and Furious 9’ went on floors in June 2019 at Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire, England, and wrapped in November 2019. While the blockbuster was initially scheduled for last summer, Universal bumped back the release date — first to April 2, 2021, then to May 28, and most recently to June 25 — due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

    Justin Lin, who directed the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth films in the action-packed franchise, will return to helm the final two installments of the popular movie series. While this means that the core storyline following Diesel’s Dominic Toretto and his family will come to an end, spinoff movies based on supporting characters are currently in development at Universal.

    ‘Fast and Furious 9’ picks up after the events of the franchise’s eighth installment, ‘The Fate of the Furious’, which released back in 2017. In this new chapter, Dom Toretto will face his younger brother Jakob (John Cena), a deadly assassin working with old foe Cipher (Charlize Theron), and who holds a personal vendetta against Dominic.

    The film also stars Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, and Helen Mirren. It is scheduled for a theatrical release on June 25 this year. 

  • ‘Fast & Furious 9’ release date pushed to June 25

    By PTI
    LOS ANGELES: The ninth installment in the “Fast & Furious” action franchise will hit the theatres on June 25.

    Action star Vin Diesel shared the new release date of film via teaser he posted on Instagram.

    “Finally! Blessed and grateful,” he captioned the clip.

    Directed by Justin Lin, “F9” also features WWE wrestler-turned-actor John Cena, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, and Charlize Theron.

    “F9” was originally scheduled to release globally in May, 2020, but Universal Pictures pushed the project to April 2, 2021 and then to Memorial Day, May 28, 2021, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Universal has also delayed “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” the fifth installment in the “Despicable Me” franchise.

    The animated family film, which was set to open on July 2, 2021, will now release theatrically on July 1, 2022.