With over $5 billion at the worldwide box office, the success of the Fast & Furious franchise has translated into countless toys and merchandise, lucrative careers for stars Michelle Rodriguez, Vin Diesel, Ludacris and late actor Paul Walker and, more infamously, an online spat between Tyrese Gibson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. However, on a more positive note, the action packed franchise is taking its fight sequences and high octane car chases into the animation realm.
Netflix has ordered an animated spinoff series of the franchise. In the animated version, Tony Toretto, Dominic Toretto’s cousin, finds his life turned upside-down when he and his friends are recruited by a government agency to access an elite racing league that operates as a front for a crime organization. Vin Diesel, who portrays Dominic in the live-action franchise, will serve as an executive producer for the animated series. Whether Diesel will make a cameo in the animated series remains to be seen.
“The ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise is a global phenomenon beloved by audiences of all ages, and we can’t wait to get started on the new animated series that will capture the action, heart, humor and global appeal of the feature films, ” said Melissa Cobb, Netflix’s vice president for kids and family.
The most recent film of the franchise, The Fate of the Furious, grossed over $1 billion at the international box office. The next film, the ninth installment of the series, is set to be released in April 2020.