Universal said what? Furious 7 is not the end!

Ten-second cars. Unbelievable stunts. Adrenaline rush in one of its finest forms. These are the building blocks of one of the most beloved movie franchises in the history of motion pictures – The Fast and the Furious. Beginning back in 2001 with The Fast and the Furious, the series has grown tremendously into one that pulls thousands to the box office with each release, and the same is expected of the upcoming release Furious 7 in a few months’ time.

 

Speaking on the movie franchise during a recent interview, Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Pictures – the distributors of the movies – said what very few (if any) could have expected, “We think there’s at least three more… I think it’s still a growing franchise.” Yes, you read that correctly. Furious 7 is not the end! As to how a collection of seven films is still a “growing franchise” is somewhat puzzling, but we’ll go along with it for now.

 

 

More Than a Little Surprising

 

Take a survey among fans of The Fast and the Furious franchise, and it would be quite likely that they are surprised of the news to not only extend the series, but also extend it by a minimum of three additional films. Having already witnessed so much throughout the soon-to-be seven-movie catalog, it is hard to imagine what else the directors and producers will be able to come up with that will allow it to maintain its standard and extend for that long.

 

“Fast 6″ didn’t disappoint with the action.

 

Notably, this is not the only reason that fans thought that this was the end. Following the death of franchise star Paul Walker on November 30, 2013, there were major concerns as to whether or not the series will continue. With the announcement from Universal Pictures that they will indeed continue with the filming of Furious 7, everyone anticipated this production to be the end of the line. Come to think of it, there were many expecting it to be the last even before Paul’s death, but that unfortunate event gave it an extra push in that direction. Evidently, the actual decision-makers had other ideas in mind.

 

 

Mixed Feelings

 

Aside from the obvious shock that the news brings, there is a huge wave of mixed feelings associated with it. In a single instance, lovers of the movie franchise don’t know whether they should feel excited or be wary of the productions to come.

 

 

While the films haven’t received equal fanfare individually, collectively there is no denying that The Fast and the Furious franchise is one of the greatest ever produced in the movie industry. Coincidentally, with over $2.3 billion earned globally, it is reported to be the biggest franchise to come out of the studios of Universal Pictures. There is no rush to see the franchise go, as some can’t get enough of the amazing stunts they manage to pull off.

 

 

Paul Walker’s brother, Cody (right) stepped in to fill his space after the actor’s death. He’s also expected to join the team.

On the other hand, as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Upon the release of Furious 7 – which is expected to be early next year – the franchise would have spanned an impressive 14 years. At the current rate, producing and releasing another three films could easily take it into another decade, and considering that Langley had said “at least three more”, who knows when they would actually close the curtains on the franchise. Surely, fatigue would have taken its toll by then, wouldn’t it?

 

 

Why Universal likes it, and why it could work

 

As with every other industry, the bottom line serves as a major decision-making factor for just about anything. Considering that Universal Pictures has grossed over $2 billion from the adventures of Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriquez and company, why would they want to stop now? It is widely expected that Furious 7 will be the highest earner of the movie series – driven by the loss of Walker, no doubt – and subsequently, no one will be able to stop them from milking the franchise for all it’s worth. Not unless the world signs a petition begging them to, and the chances of that happening are just as farfetched as the idea of it happening.

 

In relation to why extending the franchise could work out for the studios, the answer is pretty interesting. As it is now, by the time the proposed films are to be released, many of the movie goers wouldn’t even have been born at the time The Fast and the Furious was released. By this time, they would have added a number of characters – Paul’s brother Cody is expected to join the team – and hopefully extend the storyline without losing the appeal – like the highly anticipated scene where they retire Walker’s character, Brian O’Connor. Therefore, not only would they be able to pull in the faithful viewers that have been following the storyline since its inception, but also the new generation who would have heard a great deal about the movies while growing up.

 

 

It may take some getting used to, but it is all but guaranteed that The Fast and the Furious franchise will extend beyond the upcoming release Furious 7. Given the success of the franchise thus far, the decision is understandable, but it has raised the eyebrows of a few who are concerned that Universal Pictures may be going too far with it. In time we’ll see whether or not it actually pays off, but don’t be surprised if it does.

 

 

 

Universal said what? Furious 7 is not the end!