In case you can't smell what Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Rampage) is cooking, let him fill you in. He's currently working on a Fast & the Furious spin-off with Jason Statham (Spy, The Meg) titled Hobbs and Shaw, and the former wrestler-turned-actor has shared the film's first set photo.
Taking to Instagram, Johnson posted a photo of Statham--his "partner in heavy crime and fun"--and director David Leitch (Deadpool 2, John Wick) to the photo-sharing social media platform. There, Johnson called Leitch a "visionary" and a "badass director," stating he's "ready to evolve the franchise in exciting and fresh new ways." This comes as no surprise considering Leitch's recent comments about the film.
Leitch told Collider in an interview in May 2018 that he wants to have his own take on the Fast & the Furious franchise. "It will definitely have elements of the original DNA, but it is more drifting into Shaw's spy world and Dwayne's agent world and, obviously, we want to build on their relationship, their conflict, their banter," Leitch said. It seems the film will be more muscles than cars but don't worry: Johnson's Hobbs and Shaw set photo features a souped-up-looking car, potentially indicating that fast cars will still make an appearance, regardless of how furious Hobbs and/or Shaw get.
This Fast & the Furious spin-off stars Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham reprising their roles from the core franchise as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw. According to Screencruch, Hobbs and Shaw will see the duo get over themselves--and each other--to take down a common threat: Idris Elba (The Dark Tower, The Mountain Between Us), playing an undisclosed role. Vanessa Kirby (Jupiter Ascending, Mission: Impossible – Fallout) has also been cast in the film, but her role remains unspecified.
If you're in London in two weeks, maybe you can meet up with Hobbs--I mean, Statham for some "pancakes, tequila and ass kickin's." And, of course, all fanfare is on Johnson, and we can definitely smell what he's cooking.
Hobbs and Shaw is scheduled to hit in theaters on August 2, 2019.