After stepping into the Fox X-Men universe for this weekend’s hit superhero sequel Deadpool 2, director David Leitch is now turning his attention to another blockbuster movie franchise as he prepares to shoot the Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs and Shaw, focusing on the characters played by Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham respectively.
During an interview with Collider, Leitch has been discussing his plans for the movie, and how he plans to differentiate it from the main Fast & Furious series.
“I think it’s going to be a little bit more grounded because it’s the beginning,” said Leitch. “It’s an origin story, in a sense. It’s not an origin story, but we’re starting a franchise. So we want it to be a little bit more grounded, a little bit more character-centric. We’re going to set up the stakes for these guys and their relationship, but we’re also going to have some great set pieces and some action that you’d expect from that type of franchise.We’re diving into their world. I think we want to have our own take on the Fast universe. It will definitely have elements of the original DNA, but it is more drifting into Shaw’s spy word and Dwayne’s agent world and, obviously, we want to build on their relationship, their conflict, their banter. That chemistry that they have between them, that’s sort of what’s driving the movie.”
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Meanwhile, speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Jason Statham has been sharing his excitement about teaming up with Leitch, who previously served as second unit director on 2011’s The Mechanic and has worked with Statham through his 87eleven Action Design company.
“Dave Leitch is someone that I have known for many many years, who is taking the helm and directing this, and he’s just a true expert on this kind of stuff,” said Statham. “You might have seen Atomic Blonde. He’s got Deadpool coming out. He’s a really talented guy, and to be working with someone that I’ve known for so long is a big bonus for me. I’ve trained with [Leitch and Stahelski] for years. 87Eleven’s been a part of my life for a long long time. I know all the stunt guys up there, and I’ve been in and out of that place for as long as I can remember. They’re great lads.”
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Hobbs and Shaw is scheduled for release on August 2nd 2019.
