The Rock is officially back in the Fast & Furious franchise as Hobbs after mending fences with the head of the franchise, Vin Diesel.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been rumored for weeks to be returning to the franchise, despite him previously stating that he would never return following a falling out with Vin Diesel. On Thursday (June 1), The Rock shared a video from Hawaii confirming the reports that he is officially back on board and will revive his famed character, Luke Hobbs.
“HOBBS IS BACK. And he just got lei’d,” The Rock wrote in the caption of the video. “Luke Hobbs will be returning to the Fast & Furious franchise.”
The actor says that he and Vin Diesel put their differences aside during a meeting last summer, paving the way for his return to the billion-dollar movie franchise. He added that the audience was also his primary motivating factor in his decision to return.
“Despite us having our differences, me and Vin [Diesel], you know, we’ve been like brothers for years,” The Rock said in the video. “When you lead with the idea of — number one — resolve, but then also you just think about the future and you think about the plans that are much bigger than ourselves, and those bigger plans are the bigger build outs. Those bigger plans are the north star, as I always like to say.”
The new Hobbs movie is slated to hit movie theaters in 2025, but there is no word yet on when production will begin. Chris Morgan is reportedly tasked with writing the script for the new Fast & Furious movie.
Hope you’ve got your funderwear on…
HOBBS IS BACK.
And he just got lei’d ??Luke Hobbs will be returning to the Fast & Furious franchise.
Your reactions around the world to Hobbs’ return in Fast X have blown us away ????
The next Fast & Furious film you’ll see the… pic.twitter.com/vvtBgTBOnl
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) June 1, 2023
The Rock’s announcement comes on the heels of the success of Fast X, which is the first of a reported three-part finale of the Fast & Furious saga.
In a recent interview, Ludacris, who is one of the longest cast in the franchise, shared why they keep making more films despite some critics saying they should stop.
“When some of y’all keep saying, ‘Why do y’all keep shooting these movies?'” the Atlanta rapper said. “Let me tell you why. Because if you spend 200 million and you make a billion, who the f*** is you gonna tell to stop shooting movies when you’re making $800 million?”
At the time of this publication, Fast X has already generated more than $500 million worldwide. That’s in less than two weeks after the movie hit theaters, making it one of the most successful films in 2023 at the Box Office.
