F9 star, Ludacris, responded to a Fast & Furious-themed road sign in Virginia. The ninth installment in the Fast franchise sped into theaters this past weekend, expectedly breaking pandemic box office records. A Quiet Place Part II previously held the top spot with a $57 million gross over Memorial Day weekend, and now F9 has toppled it with a $70 million opening weekend, which is the best performance in theaters since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Chris Bridges, also known professionally as Ludacris, first appeared in the franchise’s second installment, 2 Fast 2 Furious, in 2003 when the long-running film series was still largely centered around illegal street racing. The sequel introduced Ludacris’ character, Tej Parker, as a friend of Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) who frequently arranged high-stakes street racing events. From there, Ludacris went on to star in five more Fast movies, including F9, as the series elevated itself from its humble beginnings to unfathomable heights, including space.
As the franchise’s action sequences are more commonly grounded to Earth, the Virginia Department of Transportation appropriately paid tribute to the franchise with a road sign that caught the eye of the famous rapper and Fast & Furious actor, Ludacris. The electronic sign read, "Driving fast and furious? That's Ludacris," which prompted the F9 star to respond on his Instagram, writing "Virginia I Love You Back! Can’t Believe this is real." The sign caught the attention of another F9 star, Jordana Brewster, who simply commented, “Epic.” Check out the photo below:
Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time the transportation office in Virginia made headlines for its movie references. Last Christmas, a traffic sign in Lynchburg paid homage to the classic holiday film, A Christmas Story, with a reference to Ralphie’s father’s famous mispronunciation of fragile (FRA-GEE-LAY). Now, their Fast & Furious traffic sign is the latest to make nationwide headlines and go viral.
VDOT’s latest movie reference is an indication of just how far-reaching the Fast franchise’s influence has spread. With F9 now playing in theaters, many are looking to the franchise’s tenth and eleventh installments, both of which will be directed by Justin Lin. This will likely mark the end of the mainline story featuring characters like Dom, Ro, and Tej, while spinoffs like Hobbs & Shaw and an all-female Fast film will continue the franchise’s legacy.
Source: Ludacris