Knowing what we know now about the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise, it’s hard to go back to the first couple films and take them seriously. The first ‘Fast’ film was basically a street racing film that took all the plot elements of “Point Break” and added Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. However, fast forward almost 20 years and we’re at the point where the ‘Fast’ characters are basically superheroes, with wild action and inhuman feats being par for the course.
Well, Jason Statham knows this and he thinks the first ‘Fast and Furious’ spin-off, “Hobbs & Shaw,” will correct those concerns. In a new interview with Collider, the action star talks about how incoming director David Leitch, who is best known for being instrumental in creating “John Wick,” as well as directing “Atomic Blonde” and the recent “Deadpool 2,” will bring something long since missing from the ‘Fast’ franchise — realism.
“I think Dave Leitch’s taste is a little more grounded and a little darker…I think he’s looking to do something that doesn’t look exactly like a ‘Fast’ movie. Although it’s the ‘Fast’ characters, he’s trying to do his own thing with it and give it a real sense of credibility. I think Dave is going to get this one gritty, and real, and fucking hardcore,” said Statham.
Now, the real question is whether or not fans of the franchise want a gritty, “fucking hardcore” take on the characters. Maybe, they have grown to love the ridiculous, cartoonish action and the over-the-top action set-pieces. We’ll find out.
Statham also talks about how Helen Mirren will be featured in the spin-off film, but we probably won’t see her slapping the actor around like she did in the previous film. Again, we’re going for realism now, and there’s no way Helen Mirren can beat Jason Statham in a real-life slugfest, right?
“We’re trying to do something that isn’t so goofy though. I know the last time [Mirren] slapped me around the face and we got this little … We don’t want to take it too seriously. I’m not the director so I’m not the one controlling the tone of the movie but we want to have some meaningful stuff in it as well as the fun. At the end of the day we want to have the laughs. We want to tear each other apart. We want to enjoy it. This has to be a ride. I guess you’ve got to have the whole package,” explains the actor.
So, will David Leitch be the guy who can marry the cartoony aspects of the franchise with the gritty realism he’s known for in films like “John Wick” and “Atomic Blonde?” Statham definitely thinks so. As for the fans? We’ll find out when “Hobbs & Shaw” hits theaters July 26, 2019.