Get Ready to Gear Up for Fast and the Furious 5

I am not sure about you guys, but with the knowledge of Sonic the Hedgehog 4’s summer release, I would have been content for the next couple of weeks without some real excitement. But, it’s here anyway, with the announcement that both Vin Diesel and Paul Walker will be returning to the studio for the fourth sequel to the popular Fast and the Furious series.

It’s hard to believe that it was barely over two-years-ago that Fast & Furious was first announced, but that film has been since released, and quite a while ago at that. The movie ended up doing really, really well, to the surprise of many, I’m sure. I could have done without Letty’s death so early on in the film, but aside from that, I’d have to say it was easily one of the best F&F movies to date, coming close to topping the original (for me, anyway).

With its success, yet another sequel was a given, but it’s good to know that two of the people who really make these movies what they are will be returning. Diesel apparently posted on his Facebook last fall that he was handed a script, but interestingly enough, it wasn’t a script only for the fifth movie, but the sixth as well. NBC Universal has only admitted to this upcoming sequel, however, so it will probably wait to see the success of it before committing to a sixth.

I can’t wait. The series gets a bad rap for being so unrealistic, but I don’t think it matters. The movies always end up being quite exciting, and the cars are usually fantastic (if you like ricers, at least). No known release for the next film is known, but it will in all likeliness be next summer.

Besides Vin Diesel (Toretto), Paul Walker (Brian O’Conner) and director Justin Lin will also return for what’s now known simply as Fast Five. Apparently the gang isn’t so furious anymore. The franchise should be in good hands, as this crew has ridden through at least two movies apiece and Chris Morgan was the author of the screenplays for the last two installments (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Fast and Furious). Those two chapters were arguably the best in the FNF filmography.