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Justin Lin, Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster and Sung Kang on being part of the 'F9' family
Los Angeles — Leave it to writer/director/producer Justin Lin to come up with nothing but spectacular and breathtaking as he comes back to work the "Fast & Furious" franchise for the fifth time.
“F9” the 9th chapter in the “Fast & Furious” saga, which has endured two decades and has earned more than $5 billion around the world.
Also the director of the 3rd-6th chapters of the series, Lin also wrote the story (with Alfredo Botello and Daniel Casey) and the screenplay (with Daniel Casey). He's maintained close relationships with producer and star Vin Diesel and the “Fast” family, and is super excited to be behind the cameras once more.
In a one-on-one interview, the 49-year-old Taiwanese-born American filmmaker whose films have grossed $2.3 billion worldwide, revealed that the most exciting and thrilling part of coming back to the franchise “is to come up with the craziest ideas and have the talented cast and crew bring them to life.”
Working with the same “Fast” family — Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang and others — is a plus. Lin explained, “We have all grown together and we are like a family now. And being away for a bit and being back, you come to appreciate these relationships more.”
“F9” was filmed in several places — London, Edinburgh (Scotland), Tbilisi (Georgia), Thailand, Los Angeles — and while the logistics is always a challenge, Lin said "it is a signature thing for us to do."
“It is always a challenge hopping around the world but I feel that it is something the ‘Fast’ family can join us in our adventures. It is a signature thing for us to do, to escape together and have an adventure around the world together. The logistics is a nightmare but it is fun when it works,” Lin said.
Despite the pandemic, they aren't ticking off the possibility of filming in the Philippines as well.
“Yes,” Lin replied when asked about the Philippines. “I can go on a global tour and film in any place that will give me 10 city blocks for a week or two. I will definitely go.”
Lin also disclosed that there is always a possibility of adding new people in the coming sequels. “We are always looking for adding new people in our saga and the next chapter is no different. We have really been looking for new people around the world and I can’t wait to start the next one.”
In “F9,” Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) is leading a quiet life with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and his son, little Brian, when his “Fast” crew pays him a visit and asks for his help to stop a world-shattering plot planned by Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena). Also in the cast are Jordana Brewster (Mia), Sung Kang (Han), Tyrese Gibson (Roman), Chris “Ludacris” Bridges (Tej), Nathalie Emmanuel (Ramsey), Helen Mirren (Queenie Shaw), Kurt Russell (Mr. Nobody), Charlize Theron (Cipher), Anna Sawai (Elle), and Shad “Bow Wow” Moss (Twinkie).
As with other “Fast” films, a lot of cars were destroyed in the latest offering. “Yes, I thought I destroyed the greatest number of cars in ‘F5’ but they told me that we destroyed more than 250 in this new one.”
Vin Diesel, for his part, was very happy that the movie is finally going to be shown in theaters. “We had to pull back because of the pandemic, so it is worth it.”
Diesel said that audiences should go see this latest offering because “’Fast’ is now a tradition. It is a film that brings families together. It is one movie that you want to see with your friends. You have been in this journey for years. There are action scenes on a high scale. And they should see it because we made it for them.”
On having Lin direct the latest “F9,” he explain knowing Lin even "before he directed ‘Fast & Furious.’"
Sharing that "the Finale, the task of creating the Finale, weighed on me six or seven years ago," Diesel said Lin brings "a shorthand, a commitment that is unparalleled. And in terms of storytelling, he has a deep understanding of the mythology for being associated for more than 10 years so it is important for him to direct the Finale.”
On having John Cena as his forsaken brother, Diesel explained they really lucked out. “I am a multicultural actor, which means you can cast anyone to be my brother. So the whole world was considered. A producer told me that John Cena always wanted to be part of the franchise. I tried to meditate on it and that day, if you go back to my Instagram, it reads: Thank you Pablo! And the reason why is because Pablo has relieved my anxiety on the casting and has cast John Cena.”
Vin Diesel is very serious on set. “Every second for a filmmaker there is an opportunity to find a miracle and I am open to find it every day. I am prepared to receive any miracle," he said, adding he uses the weekend to bond with the cast and crew.
The 53-year-old actor-producer confessed that, “In more ways than I can imagine, I started the franchise with little confidence that I would have a little family of my own. I was so dedicated to be somebody in this industry and I didn’t know that I could make a franchise. The irony is if you get to ‘F5,’ Don may not have thought of himself as a great father. It was implied. And now we come full circle and we see him as a great father.”
Then he disclosed, “I would never want to change my optimistic outlook in life and I would add to that, as an artist, it is imperative to maintain a childlike sense of wonder. The older I get, the more I want to protect that childlike wonder.”
Sung Kang, who portrays Han, is back in the franchise and is happy about being back. “I was nervous when I came back to join ‘Fast & Furious.’ It felt like your first day in school. The first day of shooting felt like going back to school. You have to eat lunch by yourself. But I was around old friends. So it was much easier. Those hugs were real. We shared stories and caught up. You can tell that the hugs were real, not fake.”
The 49-year-old actor from Clarkston, Georgia confessed that it was “humbling and gratifying as an artist to be validated by the fans out there. What else can an artist hope for. It has given me a different perspective. It has been a blessing.”
He added that “if not for Justin Lin, I would be reluctant to return but Justin saw it was important to have my character back as an Asian-American man.”
He narrated, “After ‘F6,’ we closed the book on the journey, our Hollywood dream together. But when the opportunity arrived that Justin came back and his love for the character, the stars just aligned. It was out of our control. The world needed Han back.”
For Kang, “Han is older so he has grown in perspective on values. The younger Han has more superficial needs.”
Asked what he thought was the reason for the success of the “Fast” franchise, Kang replied, “The films are heartfelt. They have all the action pieces and beautiful girls but underneath them is the thing that makes it a good franchise — the theme of family. It is so relatable and people come back because it is Hollywood. You need all the craziness and action.”
He stressed, “The theme of family is hidden and camouflaged in all the action scenes. The idea of chosen family when the world today you are looking for a community, you turn on the TV, you are not part of the scene. As an Asian-American, there is all this divisiveness, this concept of a chosen family works. It doesn’t matter what your color is, you can choose your family when you look at the ‘Fast’ family. You can see how much fun they have and it is based on integrity.”
Jordana Brewster, who portrays Mia Toretto, confessed that after watching “F9,” “I called Vin and Justin and sobbed. I loved it!”
On coming back to the franchise, Brewster said, “In some ways Mia comes in full circle. When I go back, she was independent and headstrong. She did not have a mother figure in her life. She had to hold her own and be part of the action in the first one. Now a mom and a partner and back to being a super powerful female who is back in the action and I hope that trajectory continues for Mia.”
She pointed out that “stunt work was really fun and I guested on ‘Magnum P.I. which Justin directs and I thought this will enable me to show Justin what I can do. I think Mia should be doing as well. I trained on Taekwondo and pushed Justin to give me more action scenes and he finally relented. It was so much fun to learn the choreography and put it on film. It is great to be physical.”
On having Lin back to direct, Brewster said, “I really can’t imagine the franchise to be in anyone else’s hands. I would text Justin and we would call each other and every time I call him, he is still working on the film. He is just a workaholic in the best sense of the word. He made sure that every character has his own arc and his own moment. When I am working with Justin, I know I am in the best hands. I adore him.”
For the 41-year-old actress from Panama City, Panama, being part of the franchise is simply magical. “There is indescribable magic. We have an innovative team and Justin and the others really pushed themselves and raised the bar. Technology has been so good. We have gone to space already but at the core is the diversity. Audiences saw themselves in the movie and the message of family and what you make of it and not what you are born with.” — LA, GMA News
