Diesel, Walker, Lin Reunite for ‘Fast Five’

Published by Jeff Leins on: February 4th, 2010

Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and director Justin Lin are reuniting for a fifth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise.  The film will follow the two men as “fugitives being pursued by legendary lawmen” and other high-speed shenanigans.

The new sequel, tentatively titled Fast Five, will shoot later this year for a 2011 release, according to Variety.  My best guess is Universal is shooting for an early April release similar to 2009’s lucrative Fast & Furious.  The fourth car flick debuted to a $71 million opening weekend and grossed roughly $343 million worldwide, easily the most of the series.  It also wound up being Universal’s highest grossing film of 2009.

We already knew Walker and Diesel would be back (what else do they have going on?), but Justin Lin’s return is a surprise.  This will make his third Fast and/or Furious movie since climbing aboard with Tokyo Drift.

The new title is a bit anti-climatic, don’t you think?  With gems like 2 Fast 2 Furious, you hope for something brilliant like 5 Times Faster and Furiouser.  I guess they couldn’t go with simply the name Furious 5 without confusing fans of early 80’s hip hop or people who really love Kung Fu Panda.  Besides, that’s what Steven Seagal calls his four major limbs and pony tail.  He’s perfect for a “legendary lawman,” by the way.