Universal apologizes for space scene in F9
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Donna Langley, Chief Content Officer at NBCUniversal, has apologized for one of the most infamous scenes in Fast & Furious 9 (F9). In the sequence, the characters Roman and Tej, played by Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris, are launched in a rocket car to the International Space Station.
Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival, Langley said of the controversial moment: “Sorry we sent them to space. You can’t put the genie back in the bottle.”
Variety reported that in her conversation with festival director Cameron Bailey, Langley admitted that many ideas stemmed from direct engagement with fans: “Vin Diesel was talking to fans directly from the beginning. We watched this trend grow and understood where it was going. With Fast & Furious, fans have always been the priority.”
On the topic of character deaths, such as Letty Ortiz (played by Michelle Rodriguez), Langley explained: “People were saying things like, ‘Oh my God, don’t kill Letty.’ So we said, ‘Alright, we’ll bring her back. She never actually died. Don’t worry, we didn’t do anything.’ All of these changes came from fan interactions.”
She added: “We knew that to grow, we had to find a way. We made a conscious decision to shift toward global-scale heist scenarios.”
The Fast & Furious franchise, now spanning 11 films, has grossed over $7.3 billion worldwide. The tenth installment, Fast X, released two years ago, earned over $700 million, though producers had expected more.
In June, Vin Diesel announced that the character Brian O’Conner would return to the Fast & Furious universe, 12 years after Paul Walker’s death.
