According to producer Hiram Garcia, a sequel to the Fast & Furious spinoff, Hobbs & Shaw, is still in the works. Hobbs & Shaw stars Dwayne Johnson as Hobbs and Jason Statham as Shaw. After the 8th installment of the main Fast & Furious franchise, the characters were spun off into their own film to capitalize on the chemistry that was apparent between them. Hobbs & Shaw saw the characters continue to lambast each other while working to take down Idris Elba's high-tech villain, Brixton.
One of the main factors leading to the spinoff was behind-the-scenes tension between Johnson and Vin Diesel, who plays Dominic Toretto in the Fast & Furious franchise. While the actors have laid their disputes to rest, Johnson won't return to the main series. After the success of Hobbs & Shaw, which pulled in over $759 million worldwide, a sequel was quickly in talks. However, Hobbs & Shaw was released in 2019, and a sequel has yet to manifest.
In an interview with Collider, producer Hiram Garcia shared an update on Hobbs & Shaw 2. It sounds like the sequel is still in the planning stages, as he stated, "At the moment, we’re trying to figure out what that sequel is going to be, but we have some very big ideas." Garcia also went on to confirm that Johnson's Hobbs would not be returning to the core franchise for the next two planned Fast & Furious installments, but the studio wants details on a Hobbs & Shaw sequel "ASAP!" Check out Garcia's comments below:
“After filming Fast 8, [Dwayne Johnson] made the clear decision to close the Fast & Furious chapter for all the evident reasons. He wished them all well and shifted our focus on to other story telling avenues. So while he will not be in F10 or F11, that won’t in any way interfere with our Hobbs plans. Obviously, all these characters exist in the Fast universe and we love to see all aspects of that universe thrive and succeed. We just have specific plans for what we want to do with the Hobbs character and I think the fans are going to love it! We’re working to deliver something very unique and fresh and we know the studio is eager for us to get into it ASAP!”
With Johnson previously stating his character wouldn't return to the main Fast & Furious franchise, Gracia's comments seem to solidify that report. However, Statham's Shaw did make a brief appearance in F9's mid-credit scene, teasing his return to the main franchise. How this could impact a Hobbs & Shaw sequel is still unknown, but it's clear that even without Johnson, the movies will continue to share their connected characters. With the Hobbs & Shaw sequel being developed, any addition Shaw makes to the core franchise will likely affect the spinoff films, unless Shaw's tease in F9 was purely set up for Hobbs & Shaw 2.
When the Hobbs & Shaw sequel finally goes into production depends on the demanding schedules of its stars. Statham has several projects in the works, including an untitled Guy Ritchie project, The Man from Toronto, and even Spy 2. Johnson, known as one of the hardest working men in Hollywood, just had Jungle Cruise hit theaters, he has Red Notice and Black Adam in post-production, and several projects in the works, including DC League of Super-Pets. So even with the studio and audiences eager for a Hobbs & Shaw sequel, it may still be a while before the film goes into production.
Source: Collider