After dominating cinemas with explosive action and sky-high production costs, the Fast & Furious franchise now finds itself at a crossroads. According to The Wall Street Journal, Universal Pictures insists that the next movie — which is "said" to be the last — must be made under a significantly reduced budget. The move comes after the financial excesses that plagued Fast X.
Across its eleven films so far, the franchise has grossed more than $7 billion worldwide, but the once unstoppable momentum is showing signs of slowing down. Audience enthusiasm is waning while expenses continue to climb, a combination that simply isn't sustainable. The latest entry, Fast X, was both the most expensive and one of the least profitable chapters, with a $340 million production budget and global box office earnings of around $705 million.
Production of the next film, tentatively known as Fast X-2, has stalled completely. There's no finished script, and several of the key actors haven't even signed contracts. Universal's stance is crystal clear: keep the costs around $200 million, or the project will be scrapped altogether. That's a drastic cut compared to Fast X.
Vin Diesel, who has been the heart and engine of the saga, has publicly said the film could hit theaters in April 2027, but only if Universal agrees to his three conditions: that it takes place primarily in Los Angeles, returns to its street-racing roots, and somehow reunites Toretto with Paul Walker's character through CGI. So far, no official production plans or dates have been set, everything is still up in the air.
Meanwhile, Universal is reportedly considering expanding the Fast universe through spin-offs or even a lower-budget TV series, hoping to keep the brand alive without another billion-dollar gamble.
Would you want to see one final film tying it all together, or are you ready to put the franchise in park for good?