A Fast and the Furious spinoff that will focus on Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham's characters is on the horizon, with Deadpool 2 director David Leitch being tapped to direct the forthcoming film. Variety reports that Leitch is in talks with Universal to helm the project, which is still in its developmental stages.
This spinoff will see Statham and Johnson reprise their roles as criminal Deckard Shaw and agent Luke Hobbs. When this project was first announced, Tyrese Gibson, who plays Roman Pearce in the franchise, was critical of the film and its effect on the production of the upcoming ninth addition into the Fast and the Furious saga, which has now been pushed back to 2020 as a result.
Speaking with TMZ, Gibson reveals how he's "got a problem with Dwayne," noting that "it appears he's being selfish. It appears he's so focused on furthering his own self interests, he's making decisions from the seat that he's sitting in."
The screenplay for this spinoff was turned into studio executives last month, and is slated to begin shooting in August. The film is expected to hit theatres on July 26, 2019.
David Leitch has also directed the first John Wick film, as well as Atomic Blonde starring Academy Award winner Charlize Theron. Deadpool 2 is currently in post-production, and will be released on the silver screen this upcoming May.