Despite a bit of a dip in the domestic box office for Fate of The Furious, the billion dollar Universal franchise is chugging along. We have an update concerning Furious 9 as the studio is starting to assemble it’s production team and a possible hiccup for their spinoff.
Aussie cinematographer Stephen Windon (The Pacific, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Furious 5-8) will be returning and last worked with Justin Lin on Star Trek Beyond. We’ve also learned that franchise costume designer Sanja Milkovic Hays (Captain Marvel, Star Trek Beyond) will also be returning too.
The crew assembly might suggest that the Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham spinoff could be getting a bit of a delay.
There had been an expectation that the Furious spinoff Hobbs and Shaw would be ready for release on July 26th, 2019. However, a director has yet to be announced (Shane Black rumor aside) and Dwayne Johnson will be shooting Disney’s Jungle Cruise from May until August in Atlanta/Hawaii, suggesting the window for Universal to make that July release is becoming a little iffy.
That July date currently set would see the spinoff go head-to-head with Tim Miller’s Terminator sequel at Paramount (shoots over spring/summer). The assumption already is that Universial will give Hobbs and Shaw a new date to avoid Terminator.
Jason Statham is also attached to shoot Expendables 4, after Sly Stallone seemingly announced it on social media as his next project. Creed 2 wraps in May giving us the impression Expendables 4 could begin filming as soon as the summer/fall.
It’s possible that Furious 9 might go into production first. As it doesn’t look like Hobbs and Shaw will be starting production until September at the earliest, if not even later or into 2019. A fall/winter start would also make sense if Shane Black does sign on to direct as he’ll busy during the month of August for The Predator’s promotional tour.
Neither project has established production dates.
Plot details for 9 are scarce but we’re hoping they go all-out and head into outer space. Furious 9 was originally slated for release on April 19th, 2019 only to be bumped to April 10th, 2020.
SOURCE: OMEGA UNDERGROUND