STACK #200 Jun 2021

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CINEMA FEATURE

with a staunch moral code. Diesel immediately loved the idea, which he believes captures the heart of the entire franchise. “I’m excited that we’ve taken what was just a conversation in a garage between Dom and Brian two decades ago and are contextualising it and elaborating on how Dom felt in that moment,” he says. Moreover, in F9 we learn how Dom became the man he is, and why family – both chosen and biological – is so essential to him. “ F9 sheds a light on how Dom has managed his vulnerability his whole life,” offers Diesel. “That’s what’s so fun about the evolution of this character, because it’s something that we all can identify with.” If Dom is a man who doesn’t look back, then, in F9 , he’s forced to confront his past with the introduction of John Cena as Jakob Toretto – Dom and Mia’s estranged and vengeful brother, now working as a master thief, assassin, and a high-performance driver. Jakob’s return forces Dom and Letty out of their retirement, and back into their old lives in the fast lane, reuniting them with previous Fast cast members including Gibson, Ludacris, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron. As the film begins, Dom is at a crossroads. Fatherhood has shifted the focus of his adrenaline-fuelled existence to a more sedate life off the beaten path. Living on his farm with Letty and taking care of Little Brian brings a wealth of new responsibilities, and while Dom feels the weight of it all, Letty, too, is struggling in her new role. Their relationship is feeling the

The high-octane Fast & Furious saga returns to cinemas this month, with the ninth installment set to boldly go where the franchise has never gone before… Words Bec Summer F ast & Furious 9 melds all the dizzying action, stunts and emotional pathos that fans have

strain and is thrown into further chaos with the arrival of Ramsey (Emmanuel), Roman and Tej, who inform them that the plane of Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) has gone down in the Central American jungle with the notorious Cipher (Theron) in his custody. The trio expect Dom and Letty to join them and get back into the espionage game. Letty is up for it, but, to everyone’s shock, Dom opts out. “When we have children, the stakes are higher,” says Diesel, who has three children of his own. “Now everything Dom does, he has to consider the true source of his vulnerability: his child. It’s not

come to expect from the franchise. But just when you thought the team couldn’t top anything they’ve done before, F9 does precisely that – by heading into space! Indeed, F9 director Justin Lin – who previously directed four Fast installments between 2006 and 2013 – says he’s been kicking the idea around for years, but wanted to find the right emotional arc to make it more than just a gimmick. After hitting upon the right idea, he immediately drove over to Vin Diesel’s house to pitch the concept, both of them agreeing that the time was right. Next came the hard part. “I’m on the phone with scientists, learning about fuel and physics,” Lin told The Hollywood Reporter . “It was great having the

Vin Diesel and director Justin Lin

Potential orbital action aside, it seemed only fitting for Lin to delve into Dominic Toretto’s past for F9 , providing an opportunity to connect the emotional threads of this dysfunctional family of misfits. From the start, the director knew he wanted to use Dom’s iconic line, “I live my life a quarter mile at a time” (which he says to Brian in the very

that Dom is ecstatic about living on the farm. He’s governed by necessity. There’s a lot of unfinished business in this world that he’s been living in. A lion is vulnerable because of its cub, and that’s who Dom is. In order to protect his cub, this is the sacrifice he makes.” Fully embracing the return of Lin, the visionary director who transformed the series into a global blockbuster, Diesel says today, “To wrap up this era of the saga, I knew I needed the longest-running director in the franchise as my partner.”

scientists on the other line going, ‘Wait, what? What are you trying to do?’ I love it.’” The F9 trailer reveals part of Lin’s gamble, with Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris) in what appear to be homemade spacesuits.

first film) to lay the emotional foundation for F9, viewing the line as the defining moment that shaped Dom Toretto as a modern-day outlaw

Fast & Furious 9 is in cinemas on June 17

10 JUNE 2021

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