Hobbs & Shaw proved that there’s plenty of life in the Fast & Furious franchise outside of the main drag, after it earned over $750 million at the box office, with stars Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham set to return once their schedules are clear enough to put all of the pieces into place for a sequel.
Before then, though, the ninth installment in The Fast Saga finally arrives fourteen months behind schedule on June 25th, and the early reactions indicate that it delivers everything fans have come to expect from the blockbuster series in terms of the set pieces, character beats and all-round vehicular insanity that’s defined the adventures of Dominic Toretto and his crew in the decade since Fast Five first reinvented the wheel.
Where things will go next remain to be seen, but a new rumor claims that leading man and producer Vin Diesel is demanding a whopping $50 million payday to return to his career-defining role, although there’s a lack of specifics on offer. For instance, we’ve known for a long time that Fast & Furious 10 and 11 are definitely happening with Justin Lin at the helm, so it’s unclear whether his asking price is related to the final two chapters or any potential appearances in one of the many spinoffs we’ll no doubt be getting after that.
The brand has already made Diesel one of the highest-paid stars on the planet, with the actor pocketing $20 million upfront for the last few movies and even more on the back end through profit participation clauses in his contract, but if Fast & Furious 11 does indeed draw the story that started in 2001 to a close and send Dom riding off into the sunset, Universal would certainly be in a position to refuse given that his time in the spotlight will be over.