It's easy to forget now, but the Fast & Furious franchise was once primarily about street racing. Over the years, each instalment has gotten bigger and crazier, with every new chapter delivering increasingly insane stunts that have become less and less realistic. That's become part of the fun, of course, but with just two movies left (a tenth chapter split into two), what comes next?
That was a question posed to Fast & Furious producer Neal Moritz during a recent interview on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, and he suggested the series could go back to its roots.
"Honestly, I think going forward I'd like to actually go smaller," he revealed. "And I'd like to kind of start to go back to where we started. I think that's an interesting way to go. I like to zig and then zag. I like to try and do something different and I think that's what audiences demand these days."
Fans have jokingly suggested a Fast & Furious crossover with Jurassic World or even a story set in space, but there will reach a point where that sort of madness feels like a parody. Following the final movie with one that goes back to basics and tells a personal story (with fast cars thrown in for good measure) could be just what this series needs, but will that be a box office draw?
Ultimately, there may be a middle ground somewhere, but that's probably a long way off. While this franchise is one of Universal's most profitable, they'll likely want to leave at least some breathing room between the conclusion of this story and whatever they have planned beyond that.
What are your hopes for Fast & Furious from here?