Lawd knows there are some real problems in this world—no need to list them here. But forget all those and concentrate on what really matters: Vin Diesel!
Yes, we already know that Fast X Part 2 (or Fast 11 the Final Insult, or whatever it’ll be called) will finally end the Fast Franchise once and for all. All the loose ends will be tied up, conflicts will be resolved, La Familia will be reunited (sure hope so), and many, many cars will be blown up (we can hope).
But is there trouble in Fastworld? Third-hand Hollywood buzz says yes, and that’s enough to have us all freaking the heck out.
According to celebrity gossip site radaronline, last month, Diesel announced the “powerful and exciting” end of the franchise with the upcoming 11th installment, Fast & Furious 11, for which he is reported to demand a $250 million budget.
Problem is, Diesel’s vision is out of line with that of Universal executives, Radaronline said. The suits are “begging” the star to scale back, especially after the last $340-million installment, Fast X, reportedly didn’t do terribly well at the box office.
Radar reports that a source told the National Enquirer, “Universal execs are begging Vin to figure out how to make this movie substantially cheaper.”
But a look at the numbers says Fast X has made $714 million so far on that $340 million budget, so that looks like it was profitable. Could it be the execs just want it to be even more profitable? It’s not like they’re going to spend any of that on a script. Consider:
“I smell skanks. Why don’t you girls just pack it up before I leave tread marks on your face?”
That line by Letty, marking her turf as strumpets seek to steal her man, surely rivals the best Hollywood has ever written, right up there with, “Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.”
Okay, there was this one:
“I live my life a quarter-mile at a time. Nothing else matters; not the mortgage; not the store; not my team and their bullshit. For those 10 seconds or less, I’m free.”
Yes, that one was good.
But does FF X+1 really need $250 million? Or $340 million? We’ll find out April 4, 2025, when the last and final nail in the F&F coffin is hammered in and the last movie opens. Until then, we have only hope.