Idris Elba is joining theFast and Furiousuniverse. The beloved actor has boarded the upcomingFast and Furious Spin-Offknown currently asHobbs and Shaw, which will focus on Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw.Idris Elbais on board as the main villain of the movie and is in final negotiations for the role. The Rock took to Twitter to welcome his new co-star with loving, open arms. Here’s what he had to say.
“He’s a baaaaaad man. Welcoming my dude @idriselba with tattooed and open arms to our #HobbsAndShaw Fast & Furious spin-off movie. Every hero is only as good as their villain. Cue the music… let’s dance.”
Getting Idris Elba on board only helps cement this as much more than a cash grab by Universal. He’s easily one of the most talented actors working today and is very much in-demand. Even in the occasional bad movie, likeThe Dark Tower, Elba is usually the best thing about it. TheFast and Furiousmovies have become truly massive beasts at the box office ever since Dwayne Johnson boarded the series inFast Five. The idea of spinning off his characterHobbshas been in the works pretty much since that movie reinvented the franchise and it’s finally getting underway.
We recently reported news of a casting call that said thevillain will be named Mr. Null. The bad guy, per the casting call, will be a “British villain” and an “international terrorist who dresses in all black.” Sounds like something that fits Idris Elba like a glove. There have also been rumors that Charlize Theron’s villain Cipher fromThe Fate of the Furiouswill appear in the spin-off, but that has yet to be confirmed.
Hobbs and Shawis set to be directed by David Leitch, who most recently helmedDeadpool 2, which is one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. He also co-directed the firstJohn Wick, then went on to tackleAtomic Blonde. The script for the spin-off was penned by Chris Morgan, who has been writing the main franchise sinceFast and Furious: Tokyo Drift. This spin-off was set up inThe Fate of the Furious. Originally, a post-credit scene was meant to full tee it up, but Vin Diesel is said to have stepped in and had it axed from the final cut.
This spin-off also caused some drama, as it pushed back the release ofFast and Furious 9, which is now set to arrive in April 2020. SinceHobbs and Shawwill hit theaters on June 21, 2025, which means there is only going to be a six-month gap between installments. This could prove to be a true test of the franchise’s strength at the box office. Production onHobbs and Shawis set to commence this fall. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date as more details on the project are made available. This news comes to us courtesy of Variety.
