Given that it’s tied to a huge Hollywood movie franchise but seemingly has nothing to do with any film that came before it, it’s hardly surprising that there are loads of fascinating stories behind The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. After losing/firing the two men who carried the franchise up to this point, the studio armed themselves with Justin Lin, a hot, young, and fresh director at the time.
Though there were a lot of times where it looked like the movie was in jeopardy, such as crew members getting arrested and completely different script treatments, it all worked out in the end. But just like with The Fast and the Furious and 2 Fast 2 Furious, Tokyo Drift is a well of fascinating behind-the-scenes facts.
Lin Was Hired Because Of "Better Luck Tomorrow"
Though Justin Lin is one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood when it comes to established blockbuster series, as he also directed Star Trek Beyond, his big break was Tokyo Drift. The studio came to the decision to hire Lin based on his low-budget crime movie, Better Luck Tomorrow.
It was one of the most well-received movies of 2002, received a perfect four stars from Roger Ebert, and also starred Sung Kang, who plays Han in both movies. It was probably the best decision the studio ever made, as Lin spearheaded the whole Furious-verse up to the sixth movie, turned it into the gravity-defying series it has become, and returned for the newly released F9.
It Was Originally Going To Be About Dom Solving A Murder
According the writer of the movie, Chris Morgan, the studio didn’t know which direction to take the series in, which was clear given that it features a ton of unknowns and is almost completely unrelated to the first two movies. But at one point, Morgan pitched a totally different movie to what the final result was.
It was still Tokyo Drift, but it was going to see Dom’s proper return, and it was he who had to learn the new racing style of drifting. But along with the street racing, the screenplay saw the character trying to solve a murder.
Lin Found Original Drafts Of The Script Offensive
Before he agreed to direct the movie, Lin actually turned it down, even though it was his first shot at making a movie with a massive budget. After reading the script, Lin thought the movie was offensive.
Lin felt that the screenplay was filled with cliched, out-of-context Asian imagery, like buddhas and temples, and riddled with racist jokes. The studio finally told Lin that he could change whatever he wanted because they wanted him that bad. And though he had a few uphill battles with producers, just as most directors do, Lin stated that for the most part, they stayed true to what they promised and were fair and reasonable.
Part Of It Was Shot Illegally
When it comes to shooting movies on location, producers and the director have to get film permits, and if it’s outdoors, then entire streets have to be blocked off. However, Tokyo works a lot differently from the rest of the world when it comes to those sorts of things. No film permits are given out, so Lin and his crew had to shoot a lot of the movie on the fly.
This meant that civilians would walk right through the set, as nobody could stop them, and the crew was constantly getting kicked out of places.
Lin Inadvertently Got A Man Arrested
Because a lot of the movie was shot illegally, Lin and his film crew weren’t just kicked out of places, they were also often hassled by the police. According to Lin, as mentioned in the same Digital Spy article above, the police were kind enough to let him finish getting his shots before they hassled the crew, but that they did try to arrest him.
When they asked who the director of the movie was, a random member of the crew told the police that he was. It turned out that the crew member was hired by the studio to be Lin’s “fall guy,” and Lin had no idea.
The Studio Thought Paul Walker Was Too Old
One of the biggest surprises about Tokyo Drift upon being announced over a decade ago was the absence of Paul Walker. The late, great actor wasn’t reprising his role as FBI agent Brian O’Conner, the main character in the first two movies.
There isn’t necessarily one reason why Walker didn’t return, as it seems like an amalgam of reasons, whether it was the story changing so many times during development or the underperformance of 2 Fast 2 Furious. However, one of the primary reasons was apparently because the studio thought he was too old, which is why the characters of Tokyo Drift are all still in school.
Rob Cohen, Director Of The First Movie, Was Very Critical Of Tokyo Drift
Along with the first sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Rob Cohen cast a critical eye on Tokyo Drift, and felt it was just “done for the money.” The director went on to say, “If you were to just watch Tokyo Drift, you’d say ‘I never want to see anything related to Fast and Furious again.’”
Though he’s the person fans have to thank for the series existing in the first place, and the first movie is an incredible crime drama, he couldn’t be further off target here. Not only does Tokyo Drift have a huge cult following, which is why all the characters return in F9, but there’s even a Tokyo Drift 2 in development.
Vin Diesel’s Cameo Was Added After Poor Test Screenings
In an interview with the Huffington Post, David Twohy, the director of Riddick, explains why the studio wanted Vin Diesel to cameo in the movie. Though one early treatment of the movie was about Diesel’s character Dom solving a murder, the final script didn’t actually feature the cameo.
However, the movie wasn’t testing well with audiences at screenings, so the studio brought Dom in for a cameo that equated to less than one minute of screentime. But it’s just as well, as it ended up being the best scene in the movie.
Vin Diesel Didn’t Want Money For The Cameo, Just The Riddick Rights
Though the movie has a great cast of characters, including Han, the best character introduced after the first movie, the studio was desperate for the Diesel cameo. But when it came to the studio pulling Diesel in to actually agree to do the cameo, as he had already turned down 2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift, Diesel named his price, or rather, his franchise.
Diesel didn’t want to be paid an actor’s fee, but instead asked for the film rights to the Riddick series, a franchise the actor loved but had been laying dormant for years. The studio agreed, Diesel produced the third Riddick movie, and there’s a Riddick 4 currently in development.
Almost 250 Cars Were Destroyed
Though the Fast & Furious series has veered off into a territory in which characters are now flying in shuttles and Dom Toretto has practically become a superhero, the franchise was most focused on street racing in Tokyo Drift. Almost 250 cars were destroyed in Tokyo Drift, which is more than almost any other Fast & Furious movie, beat only by Fast 5 and Fast & Furious 6.
It’s hardly surprising, as the drift races not only burn wheels, but cars are slamming into pillars, tumbling down hills, and straight-up exploding.