A media franchise , also known as a multimedia franchise , is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film , a work of literature , a television program , or a video game . Bob Iger , chief executive of the Walt Disney Company , defined the word franchise as "something that creates value across multiple businesses and across multiple territories over a long period of time.”
106-460: Fast & Furious , also known as The Fast and the Furious , is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing , heists , spies , and family . The franchise also includes short films, a television series, toys, video games, live shows, and theme park attractions. The films are distributed by Universal Pictures . The first film , based on
212-478: A "defining feature" that signals to movie-goers the content of a film. The same exposé commented, "You know what you're getting with a Jason Statham film. He will beat people up. He will crash cars. He will do an unconvincing American accent." Statham's impact on the action-thriller genre has been seen by Gabbatt as a replacement of the same undertaken by Arnold Schwarzenegger , Sylvester Stallone , and Jean-Claude Van Damme during their runs as headliners throughout
318-404: A "now-customary efficiency" in attaining "an entertaining hitman thriller". The New York Times noted Statham as "sleek as a bullet"; and the film "a more powerful recharge" of the original. UK newspaper, The Daily Telegraph hailed Statham as "England's best export to action movies in just about forever, a businesslike brute with gentlemanly soul." He returned to British film by starring in
424-589: A 30-second Super Bowl advertisement for Wix.com during Super Bowl LI . CNET reported that the advertisement reached 22 million user impressions. Statham was asked to re-join the Fast & Furious franchise once more in 2016. The ensuing film, The Fate of the Furious , was released in April 2017 to commercial success. While the film overall received mixed reviews, Statham was praised for his comedic timing and onscreen chemistry with contemporaries. The film went on to be
530-514: A car crash, and the seventh film was delayed to 2015 that December. His brothers Caleb and Cody were hired as stand-ins to recreate Walker's likeness using CGI, reworking his character arc as "retired". Furious 7 (2015) was released to critical and commercial success as the third-highest-grossing film of 2015 . Universal unveiled plans for three sequels to Furious 7 in November 2014. The toll of multiple re-shoots dissuaded Wan from returning to
636-490: A character who originated from Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow . Although the relation between Better Luck Tomorrow and Fast & Furious was originally left unaddressed, both Lin and Kang repeatedly confirmed during the following years that it was the same character, and that Better Luck Tomorrow doubled as Han's origin story , retroactively making the film part of the Fast & Furious continuity . Moreover, with Tokyo Drift ,
742-610: A deal with producer Neal H. Moritz for an untitled action film for Universal Pictures , and approached Walker and asked him to suggest his "dream" action film; Walker suggested a mash-up of the films Days of Thunder (1990) and Donnie Brasco (1997). Soon thereafter, Cohen and Moritz brought him the Vibe magazine article "Racer X" by Ken Li, published in May 1998, which detailed underground street racing operating in New York City, and suggested
848-458: A few music videos, including "Comin' On" by The Shamen in 1993, " Run to the Sun " by Erasure in 1994, and " Dream a Little Dream of Me " by The Beautiful South in 1995. While working as a model for French Connection, Statham was introduced to fledgling filmmaker Guy Ritchie , who was developing a film and needed to fill the role of a streetwise con artist. After learning about Statham's past as
954-485: A franchise can even be created, which ultimately leads to the creation of brand worlds. Since the creation of Disneyland in 1955, bringing fictional media franchises to life through the theme parks slowly became increasingly popular as the way to perfectly blend tourism and real-life involvement with media itself. Similar to transmedia, the concept of bringing fictional media into a non-fictional space where fans can immerse themselves in real-life versions of elements from
1060-489: A lawsuit against Universal Pictures for breach of oral contract and committing promissory fraud, after the distributor removed him as lead producer for Hobbs & Shaw . Furthermore, it was revealed in May 2019 that Universal had dropped Moritz from all future Fast & Furious installments. His lawsuit was settled in September 2020, and Moritz would later return to the series with F9 . In April 2016, DreamWorks Animation
1166-465: A market stall salesman, Ritchie cast him in the crime comedy thriller Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). The film was well received by both critics and audiences, and helped put Statham in the public eye; for his role, he was paid £ 5,000. Statham's second collaboration with Ritchie came with Snatch (2000), which earned more than $ 80 million at the box office. For his role in Snatch , he
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#17328582123621272-456: A model for the clothing brand French Connection . A spokesperson for the high street clothing chain said, "We chose Jason because we wanted our model to look like a normal guy. His look is just right for now: very masculine and not too male-modelly." However, he was still forced to follow in his father's footsteps as a street seller to make ends meet, stating that he sold "fake perfume and jewellery on street corners". He made small appearances in
1378-424: A modeling agency, several television shows ( Playboy's Penthouse , in 1959), and even its own television channel . Twenty-five years later, Playboy released private clubs and restaurants, movie theaters, a radio show , direct to video films, music and book publishing (including original works in addition to its anthologies of cartoons, photographs, recipes, advice, articles or fiction that had originally appeared in
1484-408: A month later, citing the box office performance of Hobbs & Shaw , and announced Chris Morgan would return to write. Johnson expressed excitement for the sequel that same month, stating that it will introduce new characters. In November 2021, Johnson revealed that he had developed an original idea for the sequel, which he described as "the antithesis of Fast & Furious " and that he presented
1590-470: A negative budget, and was panned by the critics. In August 2011, he began filming Parker for director Taylor Hackford ; the film was released in January 2013. Statham played Parker , the criminal antihero previously played by Mel Gibson in 1999's Payback and by Lee Marvin in 1967's Point Blank (though their characters were given different surnames). A. O. Scott of The New York Times said of
1696-571: A rogue special forces assassin seeking to avenge his comatose younger brother Owen Shaw, puts Dominic Toretto and the team in danger once again. The film is set after the events of Fast & Furious 6 and continues from the ending of Tokyo Drift , with Lucas Black reprising his role as Sean Boswell. It also marks the final appearance of Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner, due to his death in 2013. Cyberterrorist Cipher coerces Dominic Toretto into working for her and turns him against his team, forcing them to take down Cipher and reunite with him. This
1802-479: A sequel was green-lit. Diesel declined to return for the sequel, saying that the screenplay was inferior to its predecessor. Cohen also declined the sequel, opting to develop the film XXX (2002), which starred Diesel in the lead role. To account for these changes, Universal commissioned the writers to create a standalone sequel with Walker in the lead and brought in John Singleton as the new director. Filming
1908-759: A story set to follow Walker as an undercover cop tasked with infiltrating the world of underground street racing in Los Angeles inspired by the article. Upon hearing this, Walker signed on immediately; finding his co-star proved difficult. The studio warmed toward the idea of Timothy Olyphant in the role of Dominic Toretto , due to the success of the blockbuster Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), but he declined. Moritz persisted on Vin Diesel following his performance in Pitch Black (2000), with Diesel accepting after proposing several script changes. Moritz had difficulty choosing between
2014-451: A wide range of projects, but one that also uses cross-textual media in his output". In 2003, Statham appeared in three British television commercials for the Kit Kat chocolate bar. Described as a "break philosopher", he philosophised about salmon swimming upstream, a Mexican fisherman, and the relative speeds and ages of animals, before ending with a reminder that "taking a break" (alluding to
2120-488: Is Toretto's former lover Letty Ortiz. The film is the final film to be set before the events of Tokyo Drift . Jason Statham appears as Owen's older brother Deckard Shaw in the credits scene, seemingly killing Han, as seen in Tokyo Drift . Dominic Toretto, Brian O'Conner, and their team are recruited by covert ops leader Mr. Nobody to prevent terrorist Mose Jakande from obtaining a hacking program. Meanwhile, Deckard Shaw,
2226-457: Is also set before the events of Tokyo Drift . Despite not appearing in the film, a picture of Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz is seen in the mid-credits scene , where Eva Mendes reprises her role as Monica Fuentes from 2 Fast 2 Furious . Dominic Toretto, Brian O'Conner and their team are offered amnesty for their crimes by Luke Hobbs, in exchange for helping him take down a skilled mercenary organization led by Owen Shaw, one member of which
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#17328582123622332-560: Is an English actor, producer, and former model and diver. He is known for portraying tough, gritty, or violent characters in various action thriller films, and has been credited for leading the resurgence of action films during the 2000s and 2010s. By 2017, his films had grossed over £ 1.1 billion ( $ 1.5 billion), making him one of the industry's most bankable stars . Statham began practising Chinese martial arts , kickboxing , and karate recreationally in his youth while working at local market stalls. An avid footballer and diver , he
2438-677: Is executive produced by Tim Hedrick, Bret Haaland , Diesel, Neal H. Moritz and Chris Morgan. Hedrick and Haaland also serve as the show's showrunners. The series' first season was released on Netflix on December 26, 2019, and its second season on October 9, 2020. Its third season was released on December 26, the fourth season on April 16, 2021. The fifth was released on August 13, and the sixth and final season premiered on December 17, 2021. This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in multiple Fast & Furious films and related media. In 2000, actor Paul Walker had worked with director Rob Cohen on The Skulls . Cohen secured
2544-555: Is legit boiling—you're right." Johnson later cited scheduling issues as his refusal to participate in F9 and later confirmed he will not be in the final two Fast & Furious films ( Fast X and its sequel), despite Vin Diesel asking him to return in an Instagram post, with Johnson calling Diesel's attempt "manipulative". However, Johnson made a cameo appearance at the end of Fast X which indicated his potential involvement in its sequel. In October 2018, long-term producer Neal H. Moritz filed
2650-419: Is recruited by a government agency together with his friends to infiltrate an elite racing league serving as a front for a crime organization called SH1FT3R that is bent on world domination. Fast & Furious Spy Racers is an animated series produced by DreamWorks Animation Television , based on the film franchise. Vin Diesel reprises his role as Dominic Toretto, voicing the character in brief appearances. It
2756-436: Is set two years after the events of F9 and ten years after Fast Five . Dwayne Johnson returns to the franchise as Luke Hobbs in the mid-credits scene, while Gal Gadot reprises her role as Gisele Yashar, who is revealed to have survived the events of Fast & Furious 6 , in the ending scene. Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw team up with Deckard's sister Hattie to battle cybernetically enhanced terrorist Brixton Lore threatening
2862-479: Is the Japanese term for a transmedia franchise. The term media mix gained its circulation in late 1980s and is first used to describe adaptations of Sakyo Komatsu 's Japan Sinks , but the origins of the strategy can be traced back to the 1960s with the proliferation of anime , with its interconnection of media and commodity goods. Some of the earlier popular Japanese franchises such as Vampire Hunter D in
2968-511: Is the first film in the series to start its tradition of filming in locations outside the United States. Moritz returned and hired director Justin Lin , having been impressed with Lin's work for the film Better Luck Tomorrow (2002), which shared similar elements with Tokyo Drift . The third film marked the first appearance in the Fast & Furious franchise of Han Lue , portrayed by Sung Kang ,
3074-465: Is the first film since Tokyo Drift to not feature Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner and Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto. Dominic Toretto and his family must stop a world-shattering plot headed by Cipher and Dominic's estranged younger brother Jakob. The film is set two years after the events of The Fate of the Furious . This is the first film since Fast & Furious not to feature Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs. Jason Statham appears as Deckard Shaw in
3180-531: The Fast & Furious franchise , including the spin-off Hobbs & Shaw (2019). Jason Statham was born in Shirebrook on 26 July 1967, the son of dancer Eileen (née Yates) and street seller Barry Statham. His father also worked odd jobs as a house painter, coal miner, and singer in the Canary Islands . Statham moved to Great Yarmouth , where he initially chose not to follow his father's career working
3286-489: The Transporter trilogy (2002–2008). After starring in a variety of heist and action thriller films such as The Italian Job (2003), Crank (2006), War (2007), The Bank Job (2008), The Mechanic (2011), Spy (2015), and Mechanic: Resurrection (2016), he established himself as a Hollywood leading man. He has since starred in the ensemble action series The Expendables (2010–2023) and as Deckard Shaw in
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3392-543: The 1990 Commonwealth Games in the 10 metre, 3 metre, and 1 metre events. He said in a 2003 interview that his time with the national squad was a "great experience" that taught him "discipline, focus, and certainly [kept him] out of trouble". Statham was spotted by the sports modelling agency Sports Promotions while training at London's Crystal Palace National Sports Centre . He was signed by Tommy Hilfiger , Griffin, and Levi's for various modelling contracts during their 1996 spring and summer collections. In 1997, he became
3498-460: The ensemble action film The Expendables . Statham plays Lee Christmas , a former SAS soldier and expert at close quarters combat using knives. The film was commercially successful, opening at number one at the box office in the United States, the United Kingdom, China and India, and grossed a total of $ 274 million worldwide. In his first film of 2011, Statham starred in the remake of
3604-483: The fantasy and science fiction genres. Similarly, fantasy, science fiction films and television shows are frequently adapted into animated television series , video games, or both. A media franchise does not have to include the same characters or theme, as the brand identity can be the franchise, like Square Enix 's Final Fantasy or the National Lampoon series , and can suffer from critical failures even if
3710-469: The tenth highest-grossing film of 2019 , and received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for Statham's performance. In 2022, Statham established his own production company, Punch Palace Productions. An article by Adam Gabbatt in The Guardian noted that Statham's character contributions to his industry and film niche are "tough [and] uncompromising". Some critics note his presence as
3816-460: The third highest-grossing film of 2017 and the 12th highest-grossing film of all time . Spy 2 was confirmed on 15 February 2018. But later in 2018, Feig explained that although a sequel to Spy could still happen, "there hasn't been any interest from the studio" in the project. Statham played the lead, former Naval captain Jonas Taylor, in the 2018 action-horror film The Meg , which
3922-554: The 1972 Charles Bronson film The Mechanic as Arthur Bishop. A theatrical trailer depicting Statham's character "shooting a man's head off" was banned from circulation by the Advertising Standards Authority for showing excessive violence. His role in The Mechanic was positively reviewed by the critics both in the United States and the United Kingdom. The Guardian praised his performance as possessing
4028-423: The 1980s and Pokémon in the late 1990s, acted as benchmarks in the country's transmedia dominance. The latter in particular began as a video game available on Nintendo 's Game Boy , and crossed through the media of television, film, news, and other non-media related realms, such trading cards, merchandise, and more. A number of Japanese media franchises have gained considerable global popularity, and are among
4134-602: The 1980s and 1990s. Statham himself cites Stallone, Bruce Lee , Paul Newman , Steve McQueen , and Clint Eastwood as his inspirations. An article by Times Higher Education reported that Manchester University Press commissioned an academic study analysing the impact Statham has had on the British and American film industries from his debut in 1998 to 2018. According to the article, professors Steven Gerrard and Robert Shail are looking to show "the changing face of British cinematic masculinity" into "one that embraces cinema across
4240-407: The 1998 Vibe magazine article "Racer X" by Ken Li and written by Gary Scott Thompson , Erik Bergquist, and David Ayer , was released in 2001. It began the original tetralogy of films focused on illegal street racing , which culminated in the film Fast & Furious (2009). The series moved towards heists and spying with Fast Five (2011), which was followed by five sequels in that genre,
4346-446: The British crime thriller The Bank Job and Death Race , a remake of Death Race 2000 (1975). American film critic Armond White hailed Statham's ascension as an action film star. On the occasion of Death Race , White championed Statham's "best track record of any contemporary movie star." Later in 2008, White praised Statham's Transporter 3 as a great example of kinetic pop art . Chris Hewitt of Empire Magazine , noted
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4452-579: The British thriller Hummingbird . The latter film was praised by critics for pushing Statham's acting abilities to new heights. His "attempt to develop his 'brand' by trying more adventurous parts" noted by The Guardian 's Mark Kermode , "[broadened] his dramatic palette". Statham made a cameo in the 2014 music video Summer of Calvin Harris as one of the car racers. In 2014, he returned as Lee Christmas in The Expendables 3 . Although critically panned,
4558-463: The Furious , 2 Fast 2 Furious , and Fast & Furious , as part of the DVD releases. The films, which range from 10 to 20 minutes, are designed to be self-contained stories that provide backstory for characters or events introduced in the films. They were also designed to bridge the chronological gap that was created when the initial lead characters departed the series. Following the events of The Fast and
4664-607: The Furious , Brian O'Conner escapes from Los Angeles to avoid law enforcement until his eventual arrival in Miami in 2 Fast 2 Furious . Set between the events of The Fast and the Furious and Fast & Furious , Dominic Toretto lives as a wanted fugitive in the Dominican Republic . He eventually reunites with Letty and other associates to plan the hijacking of a gasoline shipment to help an impoverished neighborhood. Tony Toretto (voiced by Tyler Posey ), Dominic Toretto's cousin,
4770-680: The Kit Kat slogan) is an important part of life. In the comic book series Ultimate Spider-Man , that series' version of the villain Vulture was rendered by artist Mark Bagley to resemble actor Statham, per writer Brian Michael Bendis ' instructions. In the Twenty One Pilots song " Pet Cheetah " released in 2018, Statham is mentioned in the lyrics. Statham has been in a relationship with model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley since 2010. The couple announced their engagement in January 2016. Their son
4876-493: The Sierra Madre . It's not a remake or anything, but it's a little bit like that, about relationships and how greed contaminates the relationships these three people have. The working title is The Grabbers ." He reprised his role as Chev Chelios in the 2009 sequel Crank: High Voltage . In 2010, Statham appeared alongside fellow action stars Sylvester Stallone , Jet Li , Dolph Lundgren and Mickey Rourke , among others, in
4982-421: The actor in the film: "[Statham], who seems to be made entirely of muscle and scar tissue, is comfortable with his limitations as an actor. His Parker, in any case, is more of an axiom than a fully rounded human being." A 2012 BBC News report estimated that his ten-year film career to date (2002 to 2012) yielded over one billion dollars in the box office, making him one of the industry's most bankable stars. He
5088-410: The character Han Lue. Given the apparent death of the character in the third film, the timeline of the franchise was altered to account for his appearance. With the emphasis on car culture toned down, the fourth film, Fast & Furious , was a commercial success. Although critical reception was mixed, it reinvigorated the franchise, as well as the star power of Diesel and Walker. In 2011, Fast Five
5194-474: The concept to Universal Pictures chairwoman Donna Langley, as well as Garcia and Morgan. He elaborated the sequel would take immediate precedence over the rest of his film-slate, and further teased its development will progress after he completes the holiday - action film Red One (2024). Later that month, Garcia confirmed that work on the screenplay is ongoing, calling the film "very ambitious". In December 2022, Universal Pictures producer Kelly McCormick stated
5300-402: The day-in-the-life episodes of the many different Real Housewives series. Documentaries and docuseries are other highlights of the non-fiction branch of media franchises, such as the popular Planet Earth series, which serves as both a film and television transmedia franchise. Jason Statham Jason Statham ( / ˈ s t eɪ θ əm / STAY -thəm ; born 26 July 1967)
5406-433: The development of the eleventh film, its budget and modest box office performance meant that the project's continuation would serve as a finale. It was reported that an eleventh film could be "a throwback to the original film", and consist of a single mission and a different antagonist instead of Dante. In February 2024, Diesel confirmed that the eleventh film would be the final installment. In May 2024, Leterrier announced that
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#17328582123625512-506: The early stages of development. In 2019, Diesel announced a film that will focus on the women characters from the Fast & Furious and mentioned that there are three spin-off films in development. Nicole Perlman , Lindsey Anderson Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet will serve as co-screenwriters on the project. The first spin-off, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw , was announced in 2018 and starred Johnson and Jason Statham . In late 2017, Variety reported Morgan had written
5618-511: The erasure of their criminal records. This is the only film in the main series without Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto. High school car enthusiast Sean Boswell is sent to live in Tokyo with his father and finds solace in the city's drifting community. Vin Diesel makes a cameo appearance as Dominic Toretto at the end of the film. Dominic Toretto and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Brian O'Conner are forced to work together to avenge
5724-725: The fictional worlds they love, adds to the overall narrative the franchise creates through its other media. Marvel's Avenger's Campus park is one of the many franchise-based theme parks created in recent times, following the creation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure and Star Wars' Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland and Disney World . Media franchises tend to cross over from their original media to other forms. Literary franchises are often transported to film, such as Nancy Drew , Miss Marple , and other popular detectives , as well as popular comic book superheroes . Television and film franchises are often expanded upon in novels , particularly those in
5830-466: The film The Matrix Reloaded and the video game Enter the Matrix were produced at the same time, using the same actors on the same sets, and released on the same day. Transmedia franchises occasionally release content through certain media that is not canon to the main or greater story that the franchise is built around, meaning that the elements of said content do not truly exist in the main timeline of
5936-428: The film as "a dour, drab affair", but credited the film with "establishing Statham as a new action hero, as at ease with gruff one-liners as he was with Jackie Chan-esque high-kicking". In 2009, Statham started to develop a new movie written by David Peoples and Janet Peoples . Statham stated "We've got a movie we're trying to do, written by David Peoples and Janet Peoples, in the vein of an old film, The Treasure of
6042-498: The film is the first to star Helen Mirren and saw Lucas Black reprise his role as Sean Boswell from Tokyo Drift . F9 was originally scheduled to be theatrically released on May 22, 2020, but was pushed back a year to April 2, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic . It was then pushed back to May 28, 2021, and finally released in the United States on June 25. It broke pandemic box office records, grossing $ 726 million worldwide. Fast X
6148-406: The film was delayed to 2026. In November 2019, producer Hiram Garcia confirmed that all creatives involved have intentions in developing a sequel to Hobbs & Shaw , with conversations regarding the project ongoing. By March 2020, Dwayne Johnson confirmed that a sequel was officially in development, while the creative team was not yet decided. Garcia confirmed the project was in active development
6254-481: The film would go on to gross $ 215 million against a $ 90 million budget. In 2015 he starred in the action comedy Spy alongside Melissa McCarthy , Jude Law , and Rose Byrne . The film, a commercial success, was particularly praised for showcasing Statham's comedic side in contrast to his more serious roles. According to an article by Empire magazine, a Spy 2 was development in late 2015, with more screen time dedicated for Statham's character, Rick Ford. He
6360-417: The film's production has been stalled. In June 2023, Johnson announced plans for a direct Hobbs & Shaw sequel were postponed, and that a standalone sequel serving as a direct continuation to Fast X (2023) that would bridge into the eleventh main film was in development. The film's title, Hobbs & Reyes , was then announced, with Johnson and Jason Momoa set to star. Morgan is set to return to write
6466-576: The film, with Garcia, Johnson, Dany Garcia , Vin Diesel, Samantha Vincent, Jeff Kirschenbaum , and Neal H. Moritz set to produce. In 2024, Zach Dean (the writer of Fast X ) was hired to write an untitled stand-alone film. In 2015, Diesel said major spin-offs were in development. A female spin-off was confirmed in 2019 with Nicole Perlman, Lindsey Anderson Beer, and Geneva Robertson-Dworet as screenwriters. The short films were either released direct-to-video or saw limited theatrical distribution, being mostly included as special features for The Fast and
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#17328582123626572-426: The films. Two short films that tie into the series have also been released. The series has been commercially successful. It is Universal's biggest franchise and the eighth highest-grossing film series , with a combined gross of over $ 7 billion. Critical reception for the first four films was mixed until the fifth and later films, which were more positively received. Outside of the films, Fast & Furious has been
6678-467: The financial logic of cost-recovery for expensive productions by identifying that a single medium launch is a lost opportunity, the timeliness of the production and release is more important than its integrity, the releases should raise brand awareness and the cross-ability of the work is critical for its success. American Idol was a transmedia franchise from its beginnings, with the first season winner Kelly Clarkson signing with RCA Records and having
6784-479: The focus of other media, including attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida , live shows, commercials, toys, and video games. Brian O'Conner , an LAPD officer, goes undercover in the street racing world to investigate a group of unknown truck hijackers, believed to be led by Dominic Toretto . Brian O'Conner and Roman Pearce team up to go undercover for the U.S. Customs Service to bring down drug lord Carter Verone in exchange for
6890-603: The focus on the content of the commodity to "overlapping the commodity image with the character image". The book Anime's Media Mix: Franchising Toys and Characters in Japan, by Marc Steinberg, details the evolution of the media mix in Japan. Long-running franchises were common in the early studio era, when Hollywood studios had actors and directors under long-term contract. In such cases, even lead actors are often replaced as they age, lose interest, or their characters are killed. Spin-offs and adaptations of popular pieces of media within
6996-556: The franchise and Universal hired F. Gary Gray to helm the eighth film, The Fate of the Furious . This film was to begin a new trilogy to conclude the franchise. The film was released in 2017 and received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom praised the performances and action sequences, but criticized the storyline and the long running time. It was an unabashed commercial success, grossing over $ 1.2 billion worldwide. Universal later announced that final two films will be released in May 2020 and April 2021, with Lin returning to direct. It
7102-433: The franchise's characters and settings. As one author explains, "For the studios, a home-run is a film from which a multimedia 'franchise' can be generated; the colossally expensive creation of cross-media conglomerates predicated on synergistic rewards provides an obvious imperative to develop such products." The trend later developed wherein franchises would be launched in multiple forms of media simultaneously; for instance,
7208-415: The franchise. Canon content often times breaks continuity, leading fans to speculate or seek to confirm which media are canon and which are not, which can get confusing if the franchise does not provide an answer themselves since entire media can be non-canon to the greater story, with a popular example occurring. On the other hand, specific episodes, volumes or parts of a series can be canon while others in
7314-484: The heist. Fast Five was initially conceived to conclude the franchise, but following positive reception at test screenings, alongside its eventual strong critical and commercial performance, Universal proceeded to develop a sixth film. Furthermore, the film is noted for the addition of Dwayne Johnson to the cast, whose performance was critically praised. In late 2011, the Los Angeles Times reported that Universal
7420-484: The lead villain in Cellular (2004). In 2005, Statham was once again cast by Ritchie to star in his new project, Revolver , which was a critical and box office failure. He played a dramatic role in the independent film London in 2006. That same year he played the lead role in the action film Crank . Statham was asked to promote Crank during the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con Convention . In 2008, Statham starred in
7526-458: The local market stalls, instead practising martial arts . He grew up alongside football player Vinnie Jones , with whom he would later act; Jones introduced him to football , and Statham went on to play for the local grammar school , which he attended from 1978 to 1983. He was also passionate about diving , practising daily to perfect his techniques. He was a member of Britain's National Swimming Squad for 12 years, and competed for England at
7632-473: The magazine), footwear, clothing of every kind, jewelry, housewares (lamps, clocks, bedding, glassware), guitars and gambling, playing cards, pinball machines and pet accessories, billiard balls, bedroom appurtenances, enhancements, plus countless other items of merchandise. Non-fiction media franchises also exist in the television and film media, with reality TV being one of the most well-known examples; ranging from competition shows like The Amazing Race to
7738-400: The media fictional material is unrelated. Non-fiction literary franchises include the ...For Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to... reference books . An enduring and comprehensive example of a media franchise is Playboy Enterprises , which began expanding well beyond its successful magazine, Playboy , within a few years after its first publication, into such enterprises as
7844-480: The mid-credits scene, while Jordana Brewster returns to the franchise in her role of Mia Toretto, along with Sung Kang as Han Lue, who is revealed to be alive, and Lucas Black as Sean Boswell. Shad Moss and Jason Tobin reprise their roles as Twinkie and Earl, respectively, from Tokyo Drift . Dominic Toretto must protect his family and crew from Dante Reyes, the son of deceased drug kingpin Hernan Reyes. The film
7950-444: The most recent of which, Fast X , was released on May 19, 2023. Universal expanded the series to include the spin-off film Hobbs & Shaw (2019), while its subsidiary DreamWorks Animation followed this with the six-season animated streaming television series Fast & Furious Spy Racers (2019–2021). Soundtrack albums have been released for all the films, as well as compilation albums containing existing music heard in
8056-476: The murder of Toretto's lover Letty Ortiz and apprehend drug lord Arturo Braga. The film is set five years after the events of The Fast and the Furious , and before Tokyo Drift , with Sung Kang reprising his role as Han Lue from the latter film. Dom, Brian, along with Dom's sister Mia plan a heist to steal $ 100 million from corrupt businessman Hernan Reyes while being pursued for arrest by U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent Luke Hobbs . The film
8162-477: The ninth film to be delayed. Johnson called out his male co-stars after completing The Fate of the Furious in a now deleted Instagram post saying, "My male co-stars however are a different story. Some conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals, while others don't. The ones that don't are too chicken shit to do anything about it anyway. Candy asses. When you watch this movie next April and it seems like I'm not acting in some of these scenes and my blood
8268-433: The overarching story and narrative of the franchise itself. A connection between the characters, settings, and other elements of the media franchise do still exist within the different media, regardless of the fact that they are being presented in sometimes completely different ways, such as the shared, interweaving storylines and elements of Spider-Man films, television shows, comics and video games. Espen Aarseth describes
8374-490: The owners, the goal of increasing profit through diversity can extend the commercial profitability of the franchise and create strong feelings of identity and ownership in its consumers. Those large groups of dedicated consumers create the franchise's fandom , which is the community of fans that indulge in many of its media and are committed to interacting with and keeping up with other consumers. Large franchise-based fandoms have grown to be even more popular in recent years with
8480-495: The police drama Blitz as Detective Sergeant Tom Brant. The film received mixed reviews with Cath Clake of The Guardian reviewing it as "not half bad" and "oddly entertaining". He was then cast in the action film Killer Elite . The film was based on real events, which were the subject of Sir Ranulph Fiennes ' novel The Feather Men . Statham played an assassin named Danny who comes out of retirement to save an old friend, played by Robert De Niro . The film grossed returned
8586-484: The popular Twilight book series that was adapted into the five films of The Twilight Saga . Other neologisms exist to describe various franchise types including metaseries , which can be used to describe works such as Isaac Asimov 's Foundation series . Multimedia franchises usually develop through a character or fictional world becoming popular in one medium, and then expanding to others through licensing agreements , with respect to intellectual property in
8692-415: The release of A Moment Like This becoming a #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100. The success resulted in a nationwide concert tour, an American Idol book that made the bestseller list and the film From Justin to Kelly . A transmedia franchise however is often referred to by the simpler term "media franchise". The term media franchise is often used to describe the popular adaptation of a work into films, like
8798-409: The rise of social media platforms, as many fans seek to interact with one another for discussion, debate and even to create their own fan-made pieces of media revolving around the franchise, on websites like tumblr , Reddit and Fandom . In the case of successful transmedia franchises, each different medium should expand the target demographic and fandom, build the interest of the consumers and add to
8904-516: The same medium are not, such as the fact that only some of the Battlestar Galactica comics are canon, with a large amount of them breaking the continuity of the main story. In Japanese culture and entertainment, media mix ( wasei-eigo : メディアミックス , mediamikkusu ) is a strategy to disperse content across multiple representations: different broadcast media , gaming technologies, cell phones, toys, amusement parks , and other methods. It
9010-401: The script, while David Leitch would direct. Originally, the ninth film in the main series was supposed to be released in April 2019, followed by the tenth in April 2021. Instead, Universal opted to proceed with the spin-off, to occupy the 2019 release date. This caused tensions between Johnson, Diesel and Gibson, with Gibson responding through an Instagram post, criticizing Johnson for causing
9116-424: The script. After failing to secure the returns of Walker or any other member of the original cast, Universal ordered a stand-alone film of the franchise. Screenwriter Chris Morgan subsequently attempted to revive the series primarily for car enthusiasts, introducing new characters, focusing on a car-related subculture and moving the series to Tokyo; Japan contains one of the world's largest automotive industries . It
9222-604: The series was able to bring Diesel in for a cameo appearance, in exchange for letting the actor's production company acquire the rights to the Riddick character. The third film was the least financially successful of the franchise, received lukewarm reception and left the future of the franchise in limbo. Away from the franchise, Diesel made a string of box office or critical flops, including The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), The Pacifier (2005) and Find Me Guilty (2006), but his cameo in Tokyo Drift generated interest in reviving
9328-411: The series. After signing Diesel and confirming the return of Lin, Universal worked to track the first film's original co-stars and re-signed Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster in mid-2008. Walker was initially reluctant to rejoin the franchise after six years, but Diesel assured him that film would be considered the first "true" sequel. Morgan returned to write after the critical praise for
9434-467: The titles Racer X (after the article), Redline , Race Wars and Street Wars , but was ultimately inspired by a documentary on American International Pictures , which included the 1954 film The Fast and the Furious . Moritz was traded use of some stock footage to its director, Roger Corman , in exchange for a license to use the title. Upon release in June 2001, the film shattered box office expectations and
9540-493: The upcoming Spectre film. Its author, Steve Rose noted that "there was no doubt Statham can walk the Bond walk. And talking his talk can hardly be an issue with a character whose accent has fluctuated between Sean Connery 's Scottish brogue and Timothy Dalton 's Welsh." After the interview there were multiple calls from critics and the public to instate him as James Bond in a future film. The sequel to his 2011 film The Mechanic
9646-460: The world with a deadly virus. On April 19, 2023, Louis Leterrier was announced as the director of an untitled sequel to Fast X and Hobbs & Reyes , while Christina Hodson and Oren Uziel were confirmed as screenwriters five days later. Later that month at CinemaCon, Vin Diesel revealed the eleventh film would be released in 2025. The project was put on hold due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. While Fast X led
9752-472: The world's highest-grossing media franchises . For example, Pokémon 's penetration into the American market of the franchise along with others of Japanese origin, such as Yu-Gi-Oh! , gave rise to the recognition of what is variously called transmedia storytelling , crossmedia, transmediation , media synergy, etc. Researchers argue that the 1963 Tetsuwan Atomu marked a shift in Japanese marketing from
9858-536: Was a member of Britain's national diving team and competed for England in the 1990 Commonwealth Games . Shortly after, he was asked to model for French Connection , Tommy Hilfiger , and Levi's in various advertising campaigns. Statham's history of working at market stalls inspired his casting in the Guy Ritchie crime films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000). The commercial success of these films led him to star as Frank Martin in
9964-688: Was acquired by NBCUniversal for $ 3.8 billion, with the acquisition including a first look deal with the company to produce animated projects based on or with films under the Universal Pictures banner. In April 2018, streaming service Netflix green-lit the series Fast & Furious Spy Racers , with Bret Haaland , Neal H. Mortiz, Vin Diesel, Tim Hedrick and Chris Morgan as executive producers and Hedrick and Haaland as showrunners. The series premiered on December 26, 2019, and ran for six seasons. Media franchise A media franchise often consists of cross-marketing across more than one medium. For
10070-534: Was announced that Brewster would reprise her role as Mia Toretto, while screenwriter Daniel Casey was hired for the ninth film; F9 is the first film since Tokyo Drift not to be written by Morgan. Pre-production began in February 2019 in London, and filming began in June and concluded in November. John Cena was cast as the film's villain, portraying Jakob Toretto, Dom's brother. Moreover, Sung Kang returned as Han, while
10176-420: Was approaching the sixth and seventh installment with a single storyline running through both films, with Morgan envisaging themes of freedom and family, but later shifted to account for the studio's wishes to incorporate elements of espionage . Lin revealed that he had, after discussions with Diesel, storyboarded, previsualized and began editing a twelve-minute finale for Fast & Furious 6 , before filming
10282-612: Was born in June 2017. Their daughter was born on 2 February 2022. They lived in California for a number of years before moving back to London in 2020. Statham enjoys wakeboarding, jet skiing, wind surfing, and rock climbing. While filming on location in Bulgaria for The Expendables 3 , he drove a truck off the road in Varna and crashed into the Black Sea due to malfunctioning brakes. In
10388-519: Was completed on Fast Five . Upon release, the sixth film became the highest-grossing film in the series, grossing $ 788 million worldwide. Universal lacked a major event film for 2014 and rushed the seventh film into pre-production in mid-2013 due to its status as a bankable asset. Lin decided not to return to direct the seventh film, as he was still performing post-production on Fast & Furious 6 . James Wan , primarily known for horror films, took over directorial duties. In November 2013, Walker died in
10494-407: Was delayed by a year and the production location shifted to Miami . Tyrese Gibson , who worked with Singleton on the film Baby Boy (2001), was hired as Walker's new co-star for what was also the first entry in the series to feature long-running cast member Ludacris . Universal attempted to bring back Diesel for the third installment, but he again declined due to other projects and a dislike for
10600-437: Was designed to be the final movie of the franchise which later evolved in becoming a two part finale. Justin Lin was brought back to direct both movies but left the process early on due to on set differences with Vin Diesel. Louis Leterrier was then hired as his replacement to direct the two part finale. At Universal's request, the two part finale was changed to a trilogy. In 2015, Diesel announced that potential spin-offs were in
10706-507: Was nominated for the Critic's Choice Award for Best Actor in a Comedy for his role in Spy . Statham was offered a three-film contract to reboot the Transporter series in late 2015, but turned it down because he was not given the script before the signing date and unhappy with its compensation package. According to an article by The Guardian , Statham expressed interest in playing James Bond in
10812-612: Was paid £15,000. He was then able to break into Hollywood and appeared in two films in 2001: the science fiction action horror film Ghosts of Mars and the science fiction martial arts action film The One . Statham was offered more film roles and was cast in the lead role of driver Frank Martin in the action film The Transporter (2002), written by Luc Besson . The film spawned two sequels, Transporter 2 (2005) and Transporter 3 (2008). He also played supporting roles in Mean Machine (2002), The Italian Job (2003), and as
10918-420: Was released on 10 August. The film would go on to gross $ 527.8 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing U.S.-Chinese co-production of all time. In 2019, Statham reprised his role as Deckard Shaw again in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw , a spin-off of the Fast & Furious franchise focusing on his and Dwayne Johnson 's characters. The film grossed $ 758 million worldwide, becoming
11024-498: Was released. While developing the film, Universal completely departed from any street racing elements prevalent in previous films, to transform the franchise into a heist action series involving cars. By doing so, they hoped to attract wider audiences that might otherwise be put off by a heavy emphasis on cars and car culture. Fast Five is considered the transitional film in the series, featuring only one car race and giving more attention to action set pieces such as gun fights, brawls and
11130-416: Was scheduled for production in late 2016 and announced to open as Mechanic: Resurrection . The film went on to become highly commercially successfully in international film markets grossing $ 109.4 million worldwide. According to Forbes , the film was Statham's "seventh-biggest earner" and most commercially successful solo film venture of his career. In February 2017, he starred alongside Gal Gadot in
11236-518: Was signed on to reprise his role as Lee Christmas in The Expendables 2 in 2012. In 2013, Statham had a cameo appearance at the end of Fast & Furious 6 as the brother of the film's antagonist Owen Shaw ( Luke Evans ). He reprised the character, this time as the main antagonist, in Furious 7 , which was released in April 2015. He also starred opposite James Franco in the thriller Homefront , written by Sylvester Stallone , and headlined
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