When we last talked about Fast Five it was racing towards $600 million globally. Now with the hit films hitting DVD and Blu-ray this week, murmurs have started on the sixth installment in the Fast & Furious series. With Fast Five being the most profitable thus far and the addition of Dwayne Johnson to the cast, Universal Pictures is making assurances that the May 2013 release of Fast Six is even bigger.
Twitch is reporting that the studio has entered conversations with Jason Statham to appear in one or both sequels. And it would be an ideal fit since the series is shifting to Europe. Statham, who got his start in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, has shown a deftness behind the wheel as “Handsome Rob” in the remake of The Italian Job and as The Transporter in Luc Besson’s Transporter series.
Statham is an action star who doesn’t stray to far from where he butters his bread. But joining a franchise that has seen its most profitable returns is a good move in the long run. He gets to break free from typical carbon copy beat-em-ups (The Mechanic, War) to be part of a blockbuster. Besides, just imagine how much damage Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Statham, et al., could do to the speed-limit-free autobahns in Europe.
