The Rock’s recent Instagram hints at a new Fast & Furious project involving top Hollywood creatives like J.J. Abrams and Zak Penn, suggesting the franchise’s expansion beyond Fast X: Part 2 with potential spin-offs. But some fans believe Dwayne Johnson could be starting up the engines on a live-action Hot Wheels movie franchise.
Fast & Furious Franchise Is Still Going Strong
Over the last two decades, no matter how fast you run, you couldn’t escape from the Fast & Furious series. The massive franchise held its ground against cinematic universes like the MCU, making some incredible numbers at the box office. It’s been over a year since the last movie in the series, Fast X, came to theaters, and fans are ready for Dom’s last ride.
Even though Fast X: Part 2 will likely mark the end of the mainline Fast & Furious franchise, it doesn’t mean Universal is ready to retire the series. The franchise still has some gas left in the tank, with at least three spin-off films in the early stages of pre-production, including Hobbs & Reyes.
The series’ future remains tightly under wraps for now, with Universal’s marketing team laser-focused on Fast X: Part 2. That said, not all the actors have been as secretive regarding the franchises’ development plans. Dwayne Johnson, who loves teasing upcoming projects on his social media pages, might have given us a glimpse at the early stages of a new, unannounced Fast & Furious project.
Is this a live-action Hot Wheels movie? If it is, it has some seriously talented people working on it.
A Mysterious Instagram Post Hints at a New Project
“Tonight, it comes to life.” That’s how Johnson ended his cryptic Instagram post. He showed his fans a picture of him dining with some notorious writers and producers, apparently discussing an upcoming project. In the photo, he’s joined by none other than J.J. Abrams, responsible for most of the behind-the-scenes work in the latest Star Wars trilogy and other sci-fi classics, so he’ll likely direct this mystery project.
Sitting right next to Abrams is Zak Penn, the “mind” behind the new project, according to Johnson. Penn has worked on some great sci-fi/action flicks over his career, including Free Guy and Ready Player One, and helped kickstart the MCU with The Incredible Hulk.
So far, it sounds like Dwayne Johnson could be starring in a sci-fi flick (or at least that’s what some folks are reporting). However, the other person in the picture might give some hope to Fast & Furious fans. Though some people in the comments thought he was Vin Diesel for a second (“That’s f*cked up (but funny) 😂” replied Johnson to the confused fan), the fourth man in the picture is producer Hiram Garcia, president of production at Seven Bucks Productions, Johnson’s production company. Garcia is one of Johnson’s most frequent collaborators, currently working in a multitude of films starring the wrestler-turned-actor. What’s curious is that Seven Bucks helped co-producing Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, so the company has a history with the franchise.
A New Creative Team for Dwayne Johnson’s Live-Action Hot Wheels Movie Franchise?
Seeing the timing of the announcement and how sci-fi-heavy the Fast & Furious films are getting, the reunion we just saw on Instagram could be the very first time we see the new Fast & Furious creative team (read Hot Wheels team) together. Naturally, there’s been no comment from anyone involved in Johnson’s announcement. As Zak Penn puts it, “More on this later….”
Taking a step back, it’s clear how this could potentially be the live-action Hot Wheels movie Mattel and Warner Bros. first announced in 2019. The project has been stuck in production limbo for years, with the latest update in 2023 revealing that J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot had joined forces with Dalton Leeb and Nicholas Jacobson-Larson to bring the small toy car franchise to the big screen. Hollywood has been trying to make a Hot Wheels film for more than two decades now, with the rights to the franchise bouncing around since 2003.
“As the global leader in car culture, Hot Wheels has been igniting the challenger spirit in auto enthusiasts for generations,” said Mattel Films Executive Producer Robbie Brenner when it was first announced the film franchise. “Fans of all ages are now in for the ride of their lives with the incredible talent of J.J. Abrams’s Bad Robot joining us alongside Warner Bros. Pictures to transform Hot Wheels’ legendary IP into a thrilling story for the big screen.”
One thing is for sure: Dwayne Johnson is excited about this project. According to his post, the movie idea has been “Years in the making.” Well, it’s been five years since Hobbs & Shaw, so perhaps this is the new spin-off series fans have been waiting for. And considering the creative team they have working behind the scenes, I’d say the Fast & Furious franchise (or the new live-action Hot Wheels movie franchise) is in good hands right now.
RELATED: Can The Rock Save The Terminator Franchise? We Think So
Tell us, do you want a Hot Wheels movie franchise starring Dwayne Johnson? Or would you prefer another Fast and the Furious spin-off instead?
