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Marshall Bruce Mathers III, aka, Eminem, raps fast. He could also have been driving fast if fate had played out differently. In 1998, a Vibe magazine article "Racer X" by Ken Li, was published, detailing an underground street racing operation in New York City. The story soon caught Hollywood’s interest. With the help of David Ayer, director Rob Cohen — a master of fortitude — put his stamp on the action-driven drama with heartwarming human interactions and tone-perfect characterization.

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The Fast And The Furious CrimeActionThriller

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*Availability in US Release Date June 22, 2001Director Rob CohenRuntime 106 minutesCast Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Rick Yune, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker

Several people were offered roles, notably, Timothy Olyphant, who could have played the iconic Dominic “Dom” Toretto, but declined, feeling the fictional driver was too similar to...

Grab a Corona and gather the family: one of modern Hollywoods biggest franchises just raced onto the worlds top streaming service. This week, the first six installments in the Fast and Furious franchise came to Netflix, giving longtime fans and newcomers alike the chance to continue living their lives a quarter-mile at a time. And these first six installments in particular display a fascinating evolution. The franchise started out as a Point Break homage, with street racing instead of surfacing, before getting bigger and more ridiculous each time. Today, it wouldnt be a stretch to call the franchise superhero films with muscle cars.

Yet fans and critics alike seem to agree that the last few entries, while still enjoyable in their own right, havent quite lived up to the series peak, namely the fifth through seventh films. There are a lot of potential reasons why; many can and have argued...

Fans of both Jason Statham and The Fast and the Furious saga will have a lot to celebrate come November, as its been revealed by Netflix (via What's on Netflix) that the first six films in the tremendously successful action franchise will hit the streaming service on the 12th of next month. Debuting in 2001, the long-running series has since become Universals most successful one to date, grossing more than $7 billion dollars at the worldwide box office. Statham has been a staple in the films ever since the sixth movie, when he made a cameo in the end credits sequence, appearing as Deckard Shaw.

Kicking off with The Fast and the Furious in 2001, the tale of Dominic Toretto and his family both by choice and blood became an immediate hit, grossing $207 million against a small budget of $38 million. Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster, the film was...

The Fast & Furious franchise started out grounded in street racing culture and had a simple approach, which resonated with audiences and led to its success. As the franchise progressed, the films became more over-the-top and unrealistic, with outrageous stunts and extravagant action sequences. While fans have been calling for a return to the franchise's roots, it may be difficult to dial back the absurdity and find a balance between the series' origins and its signature action-packed style.

Since beginning its life in 2001, the Fast & Furious franchise has gone from its roots grounded in the world of street racing to near superhero heights that have certainly walked the line of legitimate realism. Despite how over-the-top things have gotten, the franchise remains a global phenomenon that has grossed $7.3 billion globally to date across ten movies. That's nothing to sneeze at, but there is no denying that there has been a case of diminishing returns,...

Vin Diesel was not the first choice for the role of Dominic Toretto in The Fast and the Furious. The studio initially wanted Timothy Olyphant, and there are significant differences between the original project and the final result. Vin Diesel did not return for 2 Fast 2 Furious, the only movie in the main saga without him or Paul Walker. However, a The Fast and the Furious sequel with Diesel could have happened. Vin Diesel was originally supposed to star in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, but the studio wanted a high school setting instead. He made a cameo at the end of the film.

Fast & Furious has gone from a low-stakes, standalone movie to a full-on blockbuster franchise, but not every envisioned project has become a reality. The Fast Saga premiered in 2001 with Paul Walker and Vin Diesel as lead actors, and it ended up spreading over 11 movies,...

Ken Li's article "Racer X" served as the inspiration for the film that launched the Fast and Furious franchise, showcasing the underground street racing scene. The Fast and Furious franchise shifted its focus after Tokyo Drift by creating a more cohesive storyline and developing emotional connections between characters, making the films more than just fast cars and chase scenes. The franchise continues to expand with new spinoffs, such as the upcoming Hobbs & Reyes film, and plans for Fast 11 to conclude the primary storyline in April 2025.

Street racing had been an illegal underground sport for quite some time before its popularity began to rise in the '90s. When the NYPD started to have more and more problems with racers taking over the streets, Ken Li, a reporter at the New York Daily News, felt like there was a story to tell. He met with Rafael Esteves, one of the...

If you’re like me, you may have forgotten that David Ayer had a hand in writing The Fast and the Furious. However, Ayer definitely hasn’t forgotten as he has “nothing to show” for writing the first installment of what became a multi-billion dollar blockbuster franchise.

David Ayer spoke on Jon Bernthal’s Real Ones podcast to discuss his part in The Fast and the Furious. “Biggest franchise in Hollywood, and I don’t have any of it,” Ayer said. “I got nothing to show for it, nothing, because of the way the business works.” The film was based on Racer X, a Vibe magazine article by Ken Li. Gary Scott Thompson and Erik Bergquist wrote the initial drafts, but David Ayer was brought in to rewrite it.

“When I got that script, that s— was set in New York, it was all Italian kids, right?” Ayer said. “I’m like,...

The Fast & Furious franchise has taken the world by storm, captivating audiences with its adrenaline-pumping action, diverse cast, and captivating storylines. The first film was based on the 1998 Vibe magazine article Racer X by Ken Li (via Yahoo) and was released in 2001. It began the original tetralogy of films focused on illegal street racing, which culminated in the film Fast & Furious (2009).

The series transitioned towards heists and spying with Fast Five (2011), which was followed by five sequels in that genre, the most recent of which, Fast X, was released on May 19, 2023. Besides the main series of feature films, the franchise also includes short films, a television series, toys, video games, live shows, and theme park attractions to make a complete media franchise.

As the franchise continues to expand, it's time to turn our attention to two fan-favorite characters: Tej Parker (Ludacris) and Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson). Tej was...

Based on Ken Li's "Racer X" from a 1998 edition of Vibe Magazine, The Fast and the Furious was released in 2001 with the intention of combining high-octane action with the enormous petrol-head fan base in a Hollywood setting. The formula was simple and, as many simple things do, it succeeded, surpassing any and all expectations. Now, 22 years later, it has become one of the most well-known and successful franchises of all time, spawning countless sequels and spin-offs and providing some of the 21st century's most beloved pop culture moments. At the current moment, it is the seventh highest-grossing movie franchise of all time, with an estimated total earning of over $7 billion. So, understandably, Universal, the team behind the franchise, wants to push the motoring mammoth to new heights, with the recent release of Fast X already having grossed over $600 million worldwide, becoming one of 2023's most successful movies. With that in mind,...

In Hollywood, it's common for movies to be adapted from novels, non-fiction books, and comic series. This is understandable since these sources usually have plenty of material, making work a lot easier for screenwriters. Such works also have already established fanbases that end up boosting the adaptation's box office gross figures.

Related: 10 Movies That Were Doomed By Audience Expectations

On a couple of occasions, studios and directors have also taken an unusual route by turning articles in newspapers and magazines into movies. Though journalism might be biased at times, these stories are normally written after plenty of research has been conducted, hence they provide all the necessary facts needed for the making of a film.

American Gangster (2007) Stream On Amazon Prime Video

Ridley Scott's American Gangster features outstanding performances by Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe, but it might not have been as brilliant as it is if not for the source material.

The entire “The Fast and Furious” universe consists of 13 installments: 10 movies, one show and two short films. The world of fast cars, illegal street racing and iconic beefs was created by Gary Scott Thompson. The writer, director and producer kicked off the franchise with the first film “The Fast and the Furious,” which was directed by Rob Cohen, with a story by Thompson and Ken Li.

The first film in what would become a country-hopping international franchise, starred Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Matt Schulze and Ricky Yune and more. “The Fast and the Furious” told the story of Dominic Toretto (Diesel), who has a passion and drive for street racing, and after a run-in with Johnny Tran (Yune), he takes racing newcomer Brian (Walker) under his wing. However, Dom and his sister Mia (Brewster) have no idea that he’s an undercover cop, and they are...

As Dominic Toretto (played with muscle-y esteem by Vin Diesel) once said, "I live my life a quarter-mile at a time." When 2001's "The Fast and the Furious" came out, this sentiment referred to Dom's love of street racing. But on the eve of the premiere of "Fast X," the 10th entry in the series, perhaps Dom should've said he lives his life a quarter-century at a time.

The release of "Fast X" marks 22 glorious years of the "Fast" saga, and as the 25-year mark approaches, it seems that Diesel and company are eager to give their long-running franchise a big, splashy final act. Because the "Fast" films are not based on any pre-existing source material, the journey from each movie to the next has been thrillingly unpredictable as the Torettos and their extended family reach bigger and crazier heights.

Now that Diesel, the rest of the ensemble cast, and...

Remember when the "Fast & Furious" franchise was just a street racing "Point Break" rip-off? (Right down to the fact that Johnny Utah's beer of choice in the film was even Corona!) You'd be forgiven if you had forgotten since the folks at Universal seem to have put those humble origins in their rearview mirror as well. These days, the "Fast" crew that started out boosting DVD players and trying to live their lives a quarter mile at a time have essentially become a combination of "G.I. Joe" and "The Avengers," as the most elite team of secret agents, hackers, and just all around badasses on the planet. Got a problem? You've got to call in Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel).

Given the fact that Dom and the gang have swung across chasms in cars, raced submarines in cars, parachuted out of planes in cars, and even launched themselves out...

On June 22, 2001, The Fast and the Furious raced onto the big screen and surprised everyone following its instant success. I don't think anyone saw it coming that a film based on a "Vibe Magazine" article titled "Racer X", written by Ken Li, would make much of an impression and it's highly doubtful that it could be predicted that…...

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. announced indictments against a Christian University that is tied to the former parent company of Newsweek on Thursday.

The indictments are the latest to be handed down in the ongoing investigation against the university, Christian Media Corporation and Newsweek’s former parent company, Ibt Media.

Olivet University, as well as several of its top officials, were accused of “obtaining at least $25 million in financing under Olivet’s name, and laundering the money in order to obscure its origins and fund Olivet’s operations.”

Olivet has vehemently denied the accusations, a spokesperson for the University told TheWrap (see statement below).

Also Read: Newsweek Turmoil Continues as News Director Cristina Silva Exits

The indictments come about a month after the same office charged Newsweek’s former parent company, Ibt Media, and several of its top officials with fraud, accusing them of inventing financial statements in order to secure millions in loans.

In a blistering note to readers, Newsweek editors accused the magazine’s parent company of firing two editors and a political reporter in retaliation for a story about a legal investigation into the company. Editor Bob Roe, Executive Editor Ken Li and senior politics reporter Celeste Katz were all fired, according to a note Tuesday affixed to the story headlined titled “Why Is The Manhattan Da Looking at Newsweek’s Ties to a Christian University?” According to the note, Newsweek Media Group fired Li, Roe, and Katz “for doing their jobs,” and would have also fired reporters Josh Saul and Josh Keefe if an unnamed editor...

How can we not talk about family When family's all that we got?—Wiz Khalifa (feat. Charlie Puth), See You AgainWhat a long, strange ride it's been… and still some way to go. As I write, the eighth film in the Fast/Furious series (Ff) is still playing in thousands of cinemas worldwide. I won't concern myself here with the box-office performance of The Fate of the Furious—nor will I attempt synopsis of this or the previous installments—except to note that enough money was taken on opening-day alone to confirm we can expect the ninth and tenth in this prodigiously lucrative Universal franchise to hit our screens late spring or early summer, in 2019 and 2021.Ideally the 10th—and, presuming Vin Diesel's September 2015 comment about "one last trilogy" is honored, final—picture should arrive exactly 20 years after Rob Cohen’s The Fast and the Furious bowed on 22nd June,...

“The Fast and the Furious” The movie was inspired by a magazine article The idea for “The Fast and the Furious” was originally born after director Rob Cohen read an article called “Racer X” in Vibe Magazine, by Ken Li, in 1998. The article detailed the New York street racing scene. After that, Cohen sought out a race in Los Angeles, and after seeing it, was inspired to do the movie. He convinced Universal and bought the rights to the article from Li. The movie was originally called “Redline” For most of the filming, “The Fast and the Furious” had a different name:.

Dare we say that the Fast and Furious franchise has become the most beloved film series in modern times? The series began as an exciting action thriller some 15 years ago, taking its cues from reality, namely, Ken Li's magazine profile of a driver named Rafael Estevez. Over the course of its first seven installments, the franchise steadily drew upon more fantastical elements, all while developing a core cast of loyal and lovable characters who were resolutely human and relatable. Grounding the movies in a measure of reality has been key to the success of the series and that was never more apparent than in Furious 7, which survived the tragic loss of Paul Walker during production to deliver a rip-roaring, dramatic thriller. How does the series move on from the loss of...

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Dare we say that the Fast and Furious franchise has become the most beloved film series in modern times? The series began as an exciting action=thriller some 15 years ago, taking its cues from reality, namely, Ken Li's magazine profile of a driver named Rafael Estevez. Over the course of its first seven installments, the franchise steadily drew upon more fantastical elements, all while developing a core cast of loyal and lovable characters who were resolutely human and relatable....

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As a 24-year-old freelance reporter in 1998, Ken Li had no idea that his articles about urban drag-racing in New York City would get optioned by Universal Studios, let alone turned into 2001's The Fast and the Furious, starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Michelle Rodriguez. But the stories he wrote about a 30-year-old Dominican drag-racer named Rafael Estevez – first in the New York Daily News, and then in Vibe magazine – were so gripping, they became the seed for a 14-year-long movie franchise that would end up grossing around £1.5bn worldwide.

14 years after it first hit the big screen in 2001, the Vin Diesel and Paul Walker-led Fast & Furious franchise has gone from strength-to-strength, earning more than $2.3 billion at the worldwide box office.

Originally based around illegal street racing, the Fast movies have evolved to become big, bombastic entertainment with larger-than-life characters and gravity-defying stunts. But underneath it all these are also films about family, with Diesel, Walker, Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez's characters the heartbeat of the series.

With Fast & Furious 7 due out on April 3, Digital Spy's Fast experts Tom Eames, Morgan Jeffery and Simon Reynolds went back through them all to come up with a definitive ranking from worst to best.

7. 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

It's quite amazing that the Fast & Furious franchise survived at all after its misjudged sequel. Only Paul Walker remained for its second outing, which focused more on the street racing than the characters...

Kenneth Branagh's Norse epic hammers the competition while latest Fast & Furious instalment shows no sign of slowing down

The winner

To say that Marvel's film division had a lot riding on the success of its Thor movie would be an understatement. The company and distribution partner Paramount had a hit franchise in Iron Man, but would audiences show up for a Kenneth Branagh action sci-fi about a hammer-wielding alien god starring Jim Kirk's dad from the Star Trek reboot (Chris Hemsworth)? And if they didn't, where would that leave the forthcoming Captain America picture, next year's Avengers team-up, and more besides?

In the UK and elsewhere, Marvel and Paramount have plenty to be happy about. Thor debuted with £5.45m, including £2.34m from three days of previews. Add in bank holiday Monday, and that tally rises to £6.44m. That's in a similar ballpark to Iron Man three years ago, which...

With this Friday’s release of "Fast Five" barreling towards us, MTV Movies Blog is taking the time to look in the rearview at the four films that paved the way. First up, the movie that started it all.

There have been a host of car racing movies that came before "The Fast and the Furious," but its debut in 2001 saw the rise of the sub-genre’s biggest and most popular franchise ever. Described as “gritty and gratifying” by Variety, the Rob Cohen-directed film cemented the popularity of Vin Diesel after his role in "Pitch Black" the previous year and used an ensemble cast composed of young Hollywood’s biggest stars of the time. Although American car racing movies had long relied on the horsepower of homegrown ‘muscle’ cars, “The Fast and the Furious” super-charged its debut by relying primarily on vehicles from the Asian import scene that had...