With Fast & Furious 7 still a few months always from release, Universal is allegedly already planning Furious 8 and 9 back to back bringing the franchise to a close. Rumours are circulating that Universal are looking to bring back Justin Lin who directed Tokyo Drift through to Fast 6. Lin departed the franchise after Universal wanted to shoot the seventh instalment within stricter timescales; instead Conjuring director James Wan stepped in.
Following the release of Fast 6 in 2013, Vin Diesel talked about a new Fast & Furious trilogy, but Lin had already announced his departure from the franchise moving on to The Bourne Legacy 2 and directing a handful of episodes for True Detective season 2. However now Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass have announced their return to the Bourne franchise, Legacy 2 is now on hold freeing up Lin’s schedule.
The news comes from Deadline‘s Mike Fleming, who reports that Universal could soon begin talks to bring Lin back to direct an eighth and ninth Fast & Furious movie, shot simultaneously, which would serve as a finale to the entire Fast & Furious saga.
Following the death of Paul Walker in December last year, there’s no indication on whether the Fast & Furious franchise would continue after Furious 7. Walker’s last appearance will be in Furious 7 scheduled for release in April 2015 with his two brothers standing in to complete his remaining scenes.
Universal have yet to comment on the news but considering the Fast & Furious films are the only franchise they have, expect them to move fairly quickly with this one.
