“Paul and I were sitting on the floor, with our bags to the side, about to board a commercial flight back home.
Walker, who tragically died in a car accident in 2013, was right.
When the pandemic hit and films began being delayed, most headlines focused on the fate of next James Bond film, No Time To Die.
F9 sees the crew come together to stop a world-shattering plot by Dom’s estranged brother Jakob , who happens to be the the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered.
Justin Lin is the director most closely associated with the franchise – this is his fifth time in the chair.
“We made a commitment early on.
That will reassure those who think a nine-film franchise can’t possibly offer anything new.
Lin’s direction of Fast & Furious 9 has come in for praise.
Another critic, Tim Grierson of Screen Daily, also praised the film, but said viewers may feel the film-makers are running out of ideas.
Gibson rejects the suggestion that the franchise is past its peak.
It’s possible, of course, that the universe will continue in other forms. For example, Hobbs and Shaw are likely to get a sequel at some point.
“We can’t always feel like we’re going to go on forever,” says Lin.
“But because of our journey, there have been all of those characters that have joined us in the universe.
“And that just tells me that I think there’s a lot more to be had.