Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been one of Hollywood's top earners over the last several years and one of Hollywood's most likeable celebrities. He's successfully transitioned from professional wrestler to entertainment juggernaut and become Beyonce for Boys in the process. With "Jumanji," "Shazam," "Baywatch" and "Big Trouble In Little China" coming down the pipeline, that won't be changing anytime soon.
You could make the case that Johnson's true Hollywood take over kicked off when he joined the "Fast & Furious" franchise back in 2011. Now, his Luke Hobbs character will be featured more prominently in the upcoming "Fast 8" and may even receive his own spinoff film, according to producers.
"There's a real goal for that, and we can have enough fun with that where we've earned that now with the audience," producer Hiram Garcia said in a recent interview. "He's a beloved enough character that they'd love to see what a ride with him would be like in his world. We have tons of history that we've crafted for this guy that we continue to sprinkle in throughout the movies. You'll see a little bit more in this movie but ultimately we want to take that ride and spin him off and have some fun with it."
It's not a surprise that those behind the "Fast & Furious" franchise are interested in a Luke Hobbs spinoff. Johnson is one of the most bankable stars in the business right now, and writer Chris Morgan, who has scripted six of the eight entries in the series, helped to create the character in the first place. With "Furious 7" earning a stunning $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office, the money-making potential is endless right about now. Striking while the iron is hot is not a bat business practice for Universal Studios.
Plus, Johnson's character spent the majority of "Furious 7" recuperating in a hospital room from injuries suffered during "Furious 6." The upcoming eighth title and a potential future spinoff could see him get back into the action once more.
The "Fast & Furious" franchise isn't exactly high-brow cinema, but it is wholly entertaining and enjoyable. We'd love to see what the producers could cook up for a spinoff.
"Fast 8" will hit theaters on April 14, 2017.
