Universal Pictures has released the first Hobbs & Shaw trailer for the upcoming Fast & Furious spinoff. 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.

Officially titled Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, the film finds the titular characters forced to team up in what's been described as a buddy cop movie with a tone reminiscent of Lethal Weapon and Tango & Cash. Universal tapped Deadpool 2 director and John Wick co-director David Leitch to take the helm, and the Fast & Furious family grows even further with Vanessa Kirby playing the sister of Statham's Owen Shaw. And then, of course, Idris Elba plays the film's Big Bad.

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, so it'll be interesting to see if audiences respond similarly to Hobbs & Shaw. This is a smart expansion of the brand, and you really can't go wrong with Dwayne Johnson as your leading man.

Tonally, this trailer is pitch perfect. It's incredibly funny, isn't taking itself too seriously, and is having a lot of fun with action movie tropes. Starting with Fast Five, not only did the Fast & Furious movies expand in scope, but they also became something of a live-action cartoon. Hobbs & Shaw takes this and runs with it, leaving behind the overly sentimental "family" vibes that can sometimes bring the Fast & Furious movies to a screeching halt. It's Lethal Weapon with superhuman stunts. Bottom line: Hobbs & Shaw looks like an absolute blast.

Check out the Hobbs & Shaw trailer below. Written by Chris Morgan, the architect of the Fast & Furious franchise, the film also stars Helen Mirren and is produced by Chris Morgan, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, and Hiram Garcia. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw hits theaters on August 2nd.

Here's the official synopsis for Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw:

After eight films that have amassed almost $5 billion worldwide, the Fast & Furious franchise now features its first stand-alone vehicle as Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham reprise their roles as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

 

Ever since hulking lawman Hobbs (Johnson), a loyal agent of America's Diplomatic Security Service, and lawless outcast Shaw (Statham), a former British military elite operative, first faced off in 2015's Furious 7, the duo have swapped smack talk and body blows as they've tried to take each other down.

 

But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton (Idris Elba) gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever — and bests a brilliant and fearless rogue MI6 agent (The Crown's Vanessa Kirby), who just happens to be Shaw's sister — these two sworn enemies will have to partner up to bring down the only guy who might be badder than themselves.

 

Hobbs & Shaw blasts open a new door in the Fast universe as it hurtles action across the globe, from Los Angeles to London and from the toxic wasteland of Chernobyl to the lush beauty of Samoa.

 

Directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2) from a script by longtime Fast & Furious narrative architect Chris Morgan, the film is produced by Morgan, Johnson, Statham and Hiram Garcia. The executive producers are Kelly McCormick, Dany Garcia, Steven Chasman, Ethan Smith and Ainsley Davies.

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Image via Universal Pictures
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Image via Universal Pictures

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