Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham's FAST AND FURIOUS Spinoff Gets 2019 Release Date

There seems to be a lot of drama in the Fast and Furious family as of late. First Universal pushed the ninth installment of the franchise back a year, upsetting some of the cast, specifically Tyrese Gibson, who went off on a rant about it. And now we're learning why they made that decision. The studio is shifting gears and focusing on the Fast & Furious spinoff that teams up Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham.

With Fast 9 moved back to 2020, Universal has now officially slated this new project for a July 26, 2019, opening.

Chris Morgan, who has written on the franchise since 2006's Toyko Drift, is writing the spinoff that will focus on Luke Hobbs, played by Johnson, and Deckard Shaw, Statham.

THR reports that one reason for Fast 9's push was to accommodate potential director scheduling. Sources also tell the news outlet Justin Lin may be lining up to return to the franchise and is the top man to helm the core entry of Fast 9.

No deals have officially been made with the actors.

The Fast & Furious saga began way back in 2001 as a mid-budget thriller that was trying to catch the fumes of the street racing culture in the San Fernando Valley around the turn of the century.