“F9,” the ninth entry in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, is set up as the latest film tagged as the savior of theaters.
Since the first film in 2001, the “Fast and Furious” franchise has grossed over $2 billion in the U.S.
Though not usually elevated to the same social media attention as most films in those other dominions, it is every bit as lucrative and arguably possesses broader fan support and a greater certainty of success than many releases in rival series.
Unlike most top franchises, the ‘Fast’ saga’s roots begin in this century.
With Walker’s input, they came up with the idea of setting the film in the world of illegal street racing, with an LA cop infiltrating the scene and finding himself attracted to it.
The franchise gods then smiled: Atypically for a stand-alone action film, “The Fast and the Furious” reached $144 million domestic.
Would Universal take such a chance now? For that level of budget, it is far less certain.
With a lower budget and John Krasinski directing and co-starring with wife Emily Blunt, “Quiet” had a shot at such consideration.
The original and effective genre content in the film, plus smart marketing aided by strong reviews, particularly for a horror-related film, and an effective premiere at South by Southwest all aided its April 2018 opening of $50 million.
Plus the risk is that the elements that made it a hit in the first place might have been compromised trying to build it up as one.
Two, and more importantly, is that the absence of a wide swath of non-franchise films will leave a big hole in annual box office revenues.