Alan Ritchson and Jason Statham’s $700M Action Movie Returns Ahead of Final Film

Few movies have had such a long and arduous pre-production as the upcoming Fast Forever, which was announced nearly half a decade ago. The film will serve as the 11th and final installment in the long-running action franchise, whose recent history has been rather unpleasant. Aside from the highly publicized feud between Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel that took place on the set of the eighth film, the studio had to contend with the abrupt departure of director Justin Lin from the 10th installment. There was also the tragic passing of franchise mainstay Paul Walker during production on the seventh movie.

Numerous setbacks at the time were expensive, with Furious 7‘s budget escalating to a reported $250 million. However, the movie also overperformed at the box office, grossing $1.5 billion worldwide. The franchise’s box-office revenue has since been on a downward spiral, with the eighth and ninth films grossing $1.2 billion and $726 million worldwide, respectively. Universal subsequently announced a two-part finale with nearly everyone who has appeared in the franchise returning for a grand send-off. That’s when Lin quit production and had to be replaced by Louis Leterrier. The sudden halt caused the budget to balloon to record heights for the franchise. Fast X ultimately cost a reported $378 million. It’s the sixth-most-expensive film ever made — the list is topped by Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, which cost more than $500 million.

‘Fast X’ Is Fueling Excitement for the Upcoming ‘Fast Forever’

The Force Awakens justified its massive budget by grossing more than $2 billion worldwide. Fast X, on the other hand, fell short of its predecessor and ended its global run with $714 million. With fresh updates landing about Fast Forever — the final chapter is slated for a 2027 release — audiences seem to be revisiting Fast X at home. According to FlixPatrol, it was among the most-watched movies on the domestic Vudu and Peacock charts this week. The movie received mixed reviews upon release in 2023 and is now sitting at a 56% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s consensus reads, “As irredeemably silly as it is satisfyingly self-aware, Fast X should rev the engines of longtime fans while leaving many newcomers in neutral.” Jason Momoa‘s over-the-top performance as the central villain was singled out by critics. The movie also featured Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Brie Larson, John Cena, Alan Ritchson, and more.

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