Given the copycat nature of Hollywood, I’m sure studio execs are trying to figure out how to come up with a Fast and Furious franchise of their own, but considering the accidental nature of how the franchise got turned around following The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, I’m not sure there is much of a formula to follow as much as you need B and C-level movie “stars” that actually seem to enjoy making films like this over and over again. The Expendables is close, but that franchise is more interested in killing than story telling. Now we learn Fast & Furious 7 is just the beginning of a whole new trilogy of films and Tokyo Drift star Lucas Black is getting back in the driver’s seat.
Deadline.com reports Black will return as Sean, the character he played in the third film in the franchise, but chronologically it’s actually the sixth as was evident by the end credits scene in Fast & Furious 6, which introduced Jason Statham as the brother of Luke Evans‘ character, who’s out for some revenge.
Black joins the franchise alongside Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Jason Statham, Ronda Rousey, Kurt Russell and Djimon Honsou.
Production is currently underway under the direction of James Wan (Insidious: Chapter 2), as evidenced by the picture I posted earlier today, with the seventh installment slated to hit theaters on July 11, 2014.
