Dwayne Johnson joined the Fast and Furious franchise in 2011 with Fast Five, and the actor created such a memorable character in Hobbs that he’s now set to headline a spinoff movie alongside co-star Jason Statham’s Shaw in 2019.
Johnson recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly to share a few details on the upcoming spinoff, including what fans can expect from the film.
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“We’ve got a lot of surprises,” he teased, adding that he wanted to create something that fans would enjoy.
“It’s been a challenging process because I feel like my intention from day one, when I first joined the cast, was to hopefully come in, have fun, and create a character that people will hopefully like and try to elevate the franchise,” he said. “But in the process of elevating the franchise, I have always thought that in order for this to have real longevity and legs, we should spin out and create characters that can live on their own.”
After this year’s Fate of the Furious, the production team decided to center the spinoff on Johnson and Statham’s characters, with the news coming amid reports of drama involving some cast members.
Last year, Johnson referred to some of his co-stars as “candy asses,” and co-star Tyrese Gibson later criticized Johnson for appearing in the franchise spinoff.
Despite that, Johnson explained that he only wants to provide the best experience for the fans.
“At the end of the day, the only thing I want to do is make a great movie for the fans,” he said. “I never ever get wrapped up in the sludge of the bulls— that can be connected at times to a franchise. So I never get dragged into it. I never respond to any of that.”
Photo Credit: Universal Pictures