Deadpool 2 director David Leitch has officially signed on to direct the upcoming Fast & Furious spinoff starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham. The Rock has a big year ahead of him with both Rampage and Skyscraper dropping in 2018; not to mention, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is still performing well in theaters and Sony is already moving forward with Jumanji 3. Even with all this on his plate though, The Rock doesn’t appear to be slowing down at all.

Though Johnson didn’t appear in the original Fast & Furious films, his role as Luke Hobbs played a key role in the franchise becoming an international juggernaut at the box office. With the eight films so far having earned $5.1 billion globally, it was only a matter of time before a spinoff was made, and it was no surprise when we learned Johnson would be leading the way. Costarring Jason Statham, the spinoff (rumored to be titled Hobbs and Shaw) will see the titular lawman and mercenary join forces… and trade plenty of barbs. The film will also separate Johnson and Vin Diesel, who infamously butted heads during production on last year’s Fate of the Furious. But now, Hobbs and Shaw is one step closer to entering into a friendly rivalry with the other Fast & Furious films.

EW is reporting that Leitch has now officially signed on to direct the Fast & Furious spinoff with Johnson and Statham. Rumors of Leitch’s involvement popped up earlier this year, but it’s now confirmed that the up-and-coming director is joining the Fast & Furious family.

Leitch began his career as a stunt performer before becoming a second unit director. In the latter capacity, he’s worked on films like Captain America: Civil War and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films. But 2014’s John Wick saw him direct alongside Chad Stahelski (in an uncredited role) before he graduated to helming the Deadpool: No Good Deed short that played ahead of Logan. From there, he made his proper debut with last year’s Atomic Blonde, and has Deadpool 2 lined up to hit theaters next month.

We’ve heard the Fast & Furious spinoff will start filming this September, allowing Johnson time to both promote his upcoming blockbusters and work on Disney’s Jungle Cruise movie first. Fast & Furious series writer/producer Chris Morgan is penning the script for the spinoff, so it shouldn’t be too long until we get some story details and additional casting information. So far, it looks like the Fast & Furious spinoff will shoot in Hawaii and the UK, meaning the film will continue the globetrotting approach of the more recent installments in the franchise. With a director attached, expect more news to follow shortly.

MORE: Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam Movie May Film in 2019

Source: EW

  • Hobbs and Shaw Release Date: 2019-08-02 F9: The Fast Saga Release Date: 2021-06-25