Why <em>Fast & Furious</em> Needs to Go Small to Survive
Every sequel in the long-running franchise has added more stars and crazier set-pieces. But can it last forever?
It’s safe to say the 16-year-old Fast & Furious franchise is an unqualified success. Its eighth entry, The Fate of the Furious, opened to a healthy $98 million at the U.S. box office this weekend and seems poised to be a financial boon like its forebears. The next two sequels are already greenlit and, in general, the Vin Diesel-starring, car-centric series is a crown-jewel property for Universal Studios. But there are some signs of trouble ahead: ’s opening was about $50 million down from the previous film, , and the reaction from critics was similarly . The franchise is doing fine, but there’s at least some reason to worry.
