Universal Wants to Give Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham a ‘Fast and Furious’ Spinoff

Agent Hobbs and Deckard Shaw might be back sooner than you think, and this time they’d be leaving the rest of the Fast and Furious team back home.

Universal Pictures is reportedly working on a Fast and Furious spinoff film featuring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, who played Agent Hobbs and Deckard Shaw in the multibillion dollar action movie franchise. They first fought each other in Furious 7 and their rivalry continued, and gradually turned into a steely bromance, in last week’s blockbuster The Fate of the Furious. Their chemistry is undeniable, and fans really want to see the rematch that was teased in The Fate of the Furious but which never quite came together.

Deadline reports that Chris Morgan, who has written every installment of the franchise since The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, is working on the screenplay. The film would force Hobbs and Shaw to team up, but beyond that no information is available, except that this spinoff film could conceivably come out before the next official film in the Fast and Furious series, which is still being developed.

Also: Interview | Chris Morgan on ‘The Fate of the Furious’ and the Redemption of Deckard Shaw

Spinoffs to the Fast and Furious series have been rumored for years now, ever since Fast Five brought every cast member from throughout the franchise together to create a new team dynamic. It’s an undeniably appealing prospect, not just for the fans but for the studio, who have to shell out big bucks for every cast member and who also have to wait for everyone’s schedules to clear at the same time before they can make another of their big ensemble action movies.

So a film starring one, or even two of these popular characters could potentially be easier to produce than Fast Nine, or whatever the next “proper” installment would be called. And given the popularity not just of their characters but of Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham themselves, this spinoff – if it gets made (remember, these are still the early stages) – could be a monster hit.

The question, of course, is whether the Fast and Furious movies will ever be able to fully redeem Deckard Shaw in the eyes of the audience. Even though The Fate of the Furious attempted to give Shaw a heroic, tragic backstory he still murdered a beloved member of the family, Han, at the end of Fast & Furious 6. So far he has yet to even apologize for that, so fans of Han aren’t happy that he’s getting invited to Toretto family barbecues.

All Nine ‘Fast and Furious’ Movies, Ranked:

Top Photos: Universal Pictures

William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.