The Fast and the Furious is a media franchise comprising a series of action films centered on illegal street racing, heists, and espionage, and a short film series called Fast & Furious: Spy Racers.
The first film in the series was released in 2001.
The series gained popularity with its second installment, 2 Fast 2 Furious, which was released in 2003.
The franchise has grown to include spin-off films, including Hobbs & Shaw, as well as video games, theme park attractions, and a Netflix animated series.
The ninth film is set to be released in 2021.
Need for Speed is a racing video game franchise published by Electronic Arts (EA). The game offers a similar street racing experience with a focus on car modification.
Transformers is a media franchise produced by Hasbro about transforming alien robots that also have a strong focus on action and car chases.
James Bond is a British spy movie franchise that features car chase scenes and espionage plots, among other action set pieces.
The first film in the series that introduced the core characters and set the tone for the franchise.
Considered by many to be one of the best films in the series, Fast Five features a heist plot and introduced Dwayne Johnson's character to the franchise.
A Netflix animated series spin-off that features street racing and spy missions.
The Fast and the Furious (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), Fast & Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), Fast & Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), Hobbs & Shaw (2019), F9 (2021).
No, the movies are not based on a true story. They are works of fiction inspired by street racing and car culture.
The movies feature a wide variety of cars, from muscle cars and supercars to Japanese sport compacts and custom builds.
No, you don't need to watch all the movies to understand them. Each film is mostly self-contained with its own plot and characters, though there are some continuity threads that carry through the series.
The series has multiple main characters, but the most prominent are Dominic Toretto (played by Vin Diesel) and Brian O'Conner (played by Paul Walker).