Vin Diesel revealed that it’s not just the cast that must audition for the Fast & Furious franchise. Diesel (Dominic Toretto) portrays the leader of the franchise, both in real life and fictionally, alongside many other actors including Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, and the late Paul Walker. The films are beloved by fans of the franchise and are consistently solid performers at the box office. The upcoming ninth Fast & Furious installment, F9, is slated for release on June 25th.
The Fast & Furious franchise is known for many things: its personable ensemble cast, its message about the importance of family, and its high-speed action that only gets faster and more outrageous. Of course, this high-speed action is only carried out by the most expensive, exclusive, and beautiful cars. The franchise gives all fans something to sink their teeth into, especially car buffs. Fast & Furious doesn’t treat the cars simply like gimmicks, either. The cars become another insight into the personalities of the characters, how they grow and how they stay the same.
In a recent interview from Uproxx, Diesel revealed that even the cars must audition to be in the film. Because the cars are so representative of the characters and their identities within the story at any given time, the cars chosen have to be perfect. Diesel states that this is a tried and true aspect of the franchise’s production.
“Part of the process of Fast is we’ve always auditioned our cars. The cars have really been such a significant part and representation of our characters, that there is a process of casting, right? Of casting the exact vehicle for the state of mind that the character is in, or the journey that the character is going through.”
This specificity is not lost on the fans, either. Entire fan theories and insights have been made based on the characters’ cars and how those cars are retired and then put back into commission again. And it is part of the franchise’s reputation as well; the films are known for their outrageous, incredibly expensive, luxury cars. The most expensive car used in the franchise to date was a 2013 Lykan Hypersport for $3.4 million in Furious 7. The car is not only expensive but exclusive, as only seven of the Hypersports have ever been made. The franchise routinely employs cars that are of limited make, such as the Ferrari FXX seen in Fast & Furious 6, of which only 40 exist.
Often times films such as those in the Fast & Furious franchise are criticized for relying on over-the-top action while lacking a worthwhile story. However, Diesel's comments show that the minds behind the franchise truly care about the story down to the smallest details. That the creators utilize every storytelling device they have available is a testament to the quality of the films, and a look into why they are still as successful as they have ever been.
Source: Uproxx
