Universal Pictures has settled on an official title for the upcoming Fast & Furious spinoff we’ve previously been referring to as Hobbs & Shaw. The film, of course, is the long-awaited spinoff starring Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs character, but following the positive reaction to Hobbs’ chemistry with Jason Statham’s Shaw in Fate of the Furious, Universal opted to double up for the spinoff and put the pedal to the metal.

So how will the film be sold to audiences? As Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. That’s quite a mouthful, but Universal's decision likely has something to do with the franchise’s popularity around the globe. While “Hobbs & Shaw” may not be immediately recognizable, the Fast & Furious brand has been growing exponentially ever since Fast Five. The most recent installment, Fate of the Furious, grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, with only 18% of that—$226 million—coming from domestic audiences.

I have a feeling Hobbs & Shaw might actually perform a bit better domestically, especially since the film’s tone is aiming to be in the vein of classic buddy cop movies like Lethal Weapon and Tango & Cash.

David Leitch, who directed Deadpool 2 and co-directed John Wick, is at the helm of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, which is currently still in production. Johnson and Statham reprise their roles, obviously, but the Fast & Furious universe is due to expand even further with the introduction of The Crown and Mission: Impossible – Fallout standout Vanessa Kirby as Shaw’s sister. And then of course we have Idris Elba playing the Big Bad, whose presence forces Hobbs and Shaw to team up in the first place.

So yeah, get ready folks. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw hits theaters on August 2, 2019.

dwayne-johson-jason-statham-hobbs-and-shaw-social
Image via Dwayne Johnson
hobbs-and-shaw-image-vanessa-kirby-dwayne-johnson
Image via Dwayne Johnson