I am not alone in thinking the Fast and Furious franchise is one of the greatest things to ever happen to planet earth, and the 2019 spinoff Hobbs & Shaw is no exception. The gonzo action film from director David Leitch finally united Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in a globetrotting war against Idris Elba, which included as many vertical building chases and helicopter battles as you would expect. The movie grossed nearly $800 million worldwide, so the question isn’t if a sequel is being made so much as when.
But don’t expect to see a Hobbs & Shaw 2 anytime soon.
Speaking with Collider’s Steve Weintraub for Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk, Hobbs & Shaw producer Kelly McCormick revealed that the planned sequel is currently in a holding pattern of sorts:
“Everybody's really busy on that particular franchise. I mean, who's busier than Dwayne Johnson? And, he's critical to the project. We're just waiting to hear, to be honest. I think it's something that would be awesome to continue, but I think everybody's just been so busy working on projects in the COVID of it all, that we're still waiting to hear… There's a lot of excitement to try to make something.”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson might just be the busiest person in showbusiness, so the notion that Hobbs & Shaw 2 is essentially just waiting for his schedule to free up makes total sense. It also means that even if Johnson decided to make the sequel tomorrow, he's about to start shooting Black Adam, and they don't have a Hobbs and Shaw sequel script. Which means it's at least two years before a sequel could be released. Luckily, we have F9 just around the corner to tide us over for our Fast & Furious needs. Check back soon for our full interview with McCormick.