Universal has pulled the curtain back on “Fast X,” beginning the promotional campaign for the 10th film in the long-running “Fast & Furious” franchise with an explosive first trailer.
Jason Momoa and Brie Larson lead the pack of new cast additions. Momoa portrays a villain named Dante. Larson plays a new character named Tess. Other series newcomers include Michael Rooker, Daniela Melchior, Alan Ritchson and Rita Moreno. Returning for the franchise’s 10th go-around are franchise regulars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang and Scott Eastwood. Additional returning cast include Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, John Cena’s Jakob Toretto, Helen Mirren’s Magdalene “Queenie” Ellmanson-Shaw and Charlize Theron’s ultimate baddie Cipher.
The trailer outlines the danger Dom and his crew of street racers will face as “the end of the road begins.” Momoa’s Dante is their latest adversary and it turns out the motorcycle-riding baddie has ties to 2011’s “Fast Five.”
Remember when Dom and Brian (Paul Walker) tethered a bank vault to their Dodge Chargers and drove it through the streets of Rio de Janeiro to thwart drug kingpin Hernan Reyes? Well, Dante certainly does — as the high-octane heist ruined his life. He’s Reyes’ son and has spent the last 12 years masterminding a plan to take revenge.
Now, Dante threatens to tear the “Fast” family apart, playing on Dom’s greatest fear: losing someone he loves.
The patriarch of the Toretto family has a lot to lose. He reunited with his long-lost brother Jakob at the end of “F9: The Fast Saga” and is also raising his son, little Brian (Leo Abuelo Perry), with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). The footage also introduces Moreno as Dom, Mia and Jakob’s grandmother, Abuelita Toretto.
According to the film’s official synopsis: “Dante’s plot will scatter Dom’s family from Los Angeles to the catacombs of Rome, from Brazil to London and from Portugal to Antarctica. New allies will be forged and old enemies will resurface. But everything changes when Dom discovers that his own 8-year-old son is the ultimate target of Dante’s vengeance.”
Larson’s Tess, described as a “rogue representative from the Agency, looks to be on the side of the Torettos. Plus, the “Captain Marvel” actor brings the franchise’s count of Oscar-winning performers to four (with Moreno, Theron and Mirren). Richtson (“Reacher”) plays Aimes, the new head of the Agency who “doesn’t hold the same fondness for Dom’s crew as his predecessor, Mr. Nobody.” Meanwhile, Melchior (“The Suicide Squad”) is a Brazilian street racer with a “powerful tie” to Dom’s past.
“Fast X” also brings back Statham’s former baddie-turned-ally Deckard Shaw, who must face the fact that he tried to kill Kang’s Han (in a reunion that was teased at the end of “F9.”) Finally, the footage promises a major fight scene between Theron’s Cipher and Rodriguez’s Letty, as the action stars throw punches and kicks in what looks to be an epic showdown.
“That’s the problem with having such a big family,” Momoa’s Dante says menacingly. “How do you choose which ones you save?”
The first “Fast X” footage debuted during a trailer premiere party thrown by Universal in Los Angeles. Diesel told guests at the event, “Guys, I can’t tell you how good it feels, after 23 years, to be here tonight. I’ve been so blessed to be a part of this family. You’ve heard from cast members, today, as they’ve walked you through your life over the last 23 years, where you are with us every step of the way. You truly are — and I mean this from my soul — the best fans any film cinematic saga could ever dream of.”
Diesel said on the red carpet that Robert Downey Jr. is his dream casting for the next and supposedly final installment of the franchise. But who would Downey Jr. play?
“Without telling you too much about what happens in the future, there’s a character who is the antithesis of Dom who is promoting AI and driverless cars and a philosophy that with that goes your freedom,” Diesel said. “There is somebody that believes that’s the future, and that’s at direct odds with the Toretto mentality.”
Michelle Rodriguez had a different pick: “I fucking want Matt Damon. Matt Damon, would you be in a ‘Fast and Furious’ movie? C’mon, we got four Oscar winners, man. And you’re an Oscar winner!”
Production for “Fast X” had some behind-the-scenes speed bumps, including a change in director early in production. Justin Lin, who directed five “Fast” films dating back to 2006’s “Tokyo Drift,” left the 10th film in April 2022 just as principal photography began, citing creative differences. A week later, Louis Leterrier replaced Lin as the “Fast X” director, though Lin retains producing and writing credits on the film.
“Fast X” is written by Lin, Zach Dean and Dan Mazeau. Producers include Diesel, Lin, Neal Moritz, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Samantha Vincent.
“Fast X” is set to hit theaters on May 19.
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