Uh oh. I can't imagine that Tyrese Gibson is going to have anything nice to say about this. Yesterday it was announced that FAST & FURIOUS 9 was being pushed back to 2020, but fans of the high-octane action franchise shouldn't fear, as 2019 will still give us another installment of the FAST & FURIOUS saga in the form of a spin-off centering around Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw.
THR broke the news that the spin-off is officially moving forward and that Universal Pictures have slated the film for a July 26, 2019 release. Chris Morgan, who has written every sequel since THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT, will also be scripting the spin-off. The studio first began entertaining the thought of a spin-off after witnessing the chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham during the dailies for THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS. A deal has yet to be made with the actors, but Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley said, "The global brand of Fast & Furious is strong and full of iconic characters, and we look forward to continuing to build on the film that started it all, as well as expanding into different narratives beginning with our first spin-off." Production on the spin-off is expected to get underway August 2018, and the studio will begin meeting with directors once Chris Morgan turns in his script.
Additionally, THR adds that one of the reasons for pushing FAST & FURIOUS 9 back to 2020 was to "accomodate potential director scheduling," as it's possible that Justin Lin, who helmed TOKYO DRIFT through to FAST & FURIOUS 6, may be returning to the franchise to direct FAST & FURIOUS 9.