“Fast and Furious” fans around the world are excited for the return of the franchise with the 10th installment, “Fast X,” next April. The residents of Los Angeles’ historic Angelino Heights neighborhood, not so much.
Ever since it premiered in 2001, “Fast and the Furious” fans have made a beeline to Angelino Heights to gawk at Bob’s Market, the store owned by the family of the film’s Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and the character’s quaint Victorian house.
But unlike the nearby house where The WB series “Charmed” was shot, Bob’s Market and Dominic’s house have become a destination for more than just snapping selfies. Nearly every night, car enthusiasts spin out doing donuts at high speeds in front of the store in addition to racing and doing street takeovers throughout the area just west of Downtown.
Residents who deal with the constant noise and unsafe conditions are fed up, and are planning a protest for the “Fast X” shoot on Friday. The protest comes as anger over the effects of street racing and takeovers is at an all-time high in the city. Meanwhile, traffic fatalities and pedestrian deaths have skyrocketed during the pandemic, often caused by reckless driving and speeding. It’s become an epidemic across L.A. and the entire country — traffic deaths in the U.S. jumped 21% in the first three months of 2022 compared to 2020.
A notice of filming from FilmLA received by community members indicates that “Fast X” will shoot Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. in front of the Toretto house on Kensington Road, with “simulated emergency services activity, aerial photography, wetting down of street and atmospheric smoke.” According to a spokesperson for FilmLA, which is in charge of permits for film shooting in Los Angeles, a shooting permit has not been finalized, but the bulletins were provided to the community by the office.
“If this film shoot is allowed to go forward in Angelino Heights, or any part of it from F10 Productions (Universal) … we will stage a protest and will invite many reporters and news cameras to film us protesting this film shoot all day and night,” an email obtained by Variety from a resident to Los Angeles City Council reads. “We will hold this protest to honor the 178 people who have been killed by street racers in Los Angeles, and to shame Universal for their callous disregard for this deadly epidemic of street racing their films started and continue to promote.” No further details about the protest were available.
Universal did not respond to requests for comment.
Speaking to Variety, several residents of Angelino Heights explained that their issue with “Fast and Furious” has less to do with the one-day film shoot itself than the impact that the films have on the neighborhood year-round.
Hellen Kim and Robert Howard, a married couple that live close by Bob’s Market, say that the open area in front of the store draws street racers who practice donuts and ramp up their engines, creating noise and smoke. Although the city erected some bollards in the area, many of the drivers simply moved to a nearby street or continue to drive around the barriers. And when they do so, because some of the cars don’t have mufflers, the noise tends to be extremely disruptive, with screeching tires throughout the night.
“Our mom stays with us, she’s 90, she gets scared at night with this kind of sound,” Howard says. “There’s kids in the neighborhood right on that corner. It shouldn’t be allowed.”
Kim says that while driving in the area, several of the racers have hit or crashed into cars. Additionally, she says she’s witnessed several of the drivers speeding away after the collision, leaving the owner to deal with the consequences.
“Someone’s going to get killed,” she says. “Sooner or later.”
One resident, who did not want his name used, told Variety that he once had a gun pointed at him by a “Fast and Furious” fan after he asked him to stop running his car in the middle of the day.
“In the middle of the daytime I’m trying to work in my office, somebody’s whipping around making all kinds of noise with their car, and I come out and I’m yelling, ‘Would you do this in front of your grandma’s house?’ And some kid’s like, ‘What did you say to me?’ And pulls out a gun and pointed at me,” the resident says. “I’m standing on my porch and he’s on the opposite side of the street. So I wasn’t scared for my life. But anytime someone pulls a gun, it’s a serious thing.”
Another time, the resident and his brother-in-law got into a yelling match with other drivers in the neighborhood. A few days later, they woke up in the middle of the night to find that someone had set the trash cans in their driveway on fire, nearly burning their house down in the process.
“The fact that these people can find the actual spot and then just go torment the people living there is irresponsible,” the resident says. “Of course they (Universal) didn’t know when they made the movie that it would be such a cultural phenomenon.”
Not all residents necessarily want “Fast X” filming to cease. Longtime homeowner Planaria Price, who was instrumental in helping persuade the city to get the barriers installed in front of Bob’s Market, explains that Universal has provided her and other residents with stipends and annoyance fees, which helped her restore several of the homes in the area she owns.
According to Price, residents in the community who have complained about “Fast X” filming have already been offered fees. Although she agrees that the street racing that the films encourage is dangerous, she thinks the issue lies more with Los Angeles government and the need to crack down on street racing in the city at large.
L.A. City Councilman Gil Cedillo, who represents the area, did not respond to a request for comment.
“I don’t want filming to cease, I mean, it’s one of the most important economic things we have in Los Angeles,” Price says. “It’s just that the owner of the location has to be sure that the location people are really responsible to the neighborhood.”
The protest, which is being organized by an Angelino Heights resident who declined an interview with Variety, is supported by Street Racing Kills and Streets Are for Everyone, two advocacy organizations that focus on road safety education. Their founders, Lili Trujillo Puckett and Damian Kevitt, have both been personally affected by dangerous driving: Puckett’s 16-year-old daughter died in a crash caused by a street race, while Kevitt lost his leg after being hit by a car speeding through Griffith Park.
During the pandemic, street racing ballooned as an issue in the city overall, with races and street takeovers jumping 27% last year, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Although Pucket explains that Universal has done some outreach to promote driving safety in the years since the “Fast and the Furious” franchise began — including a PSA she participated in a few years ago featuring franchise star Sung Kang — she says it hasn’t been far-reaching enough to combat the effects the films have had, and that Universal needs to do a bigger campaign to get the message across more strongly.
She cites several recent street racing incidents this year, including a freeway crash that killed two people in May, as a reason why the “Fast” production shouldn’t be returning to Los Angeles streets for filming.
“I feel like they should have waited maybe another year, especially with the problem being as big as it is right now,” Puckett says.
Kevitt doesn’t necessarily have a problem with car enthusiasts racing in a safe, contained environment, but it’s a different story on public streets with real-life consequences. Though “Fast” movies have gotten away from their street racing beginnings, the next installment has been said to be “returning to its roots.”
What’s happening in Angelino Heights is a result of an industry that doesn’t care about its potential consequences, Kevitt says. “That needs to change and Universal needs to step up and take responsibility for the consequences and billions of money that they’ve made off of this.”
Pat Saperstein contributed to this article.
FAQs
Does Fast and Furious use real cars stunts? ›
Following is the transcript of the video. Narrator: This is one of the biggest stunts in "Fast 9," the latest "Fast & Furious" movie. It's a four-second shot they could have made entirely out of CGI, but instead, they spent eight months planning the stunt with real vehicles.
Will fast and furious 10 be the last movie? ›Fast & Furious 10 may have had a major change behind the scenes, but everything now seems back on track for Fast X. Filming has gone ahead on schedule, more or less, with the tenth and final (err, part one of the final) set for cinemas in spring 2023.
Is there a fast and furious 10 in the making? ›' “Fast and Furious” fans around the world are excited for the return of the franchise with the 10th installment, “Fast X,” next April.
What is the 10th Fast and Furious called? ›Fast X (also known as Fast & Furious 10) is an upcoming American action film directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Justin Lin and Dan Mazeau. It is the sequel to F9 (2021), serving as the tenth main installment, and the eleventh overall film in the Fast & Furious franchise.
Can you really parachute a car? ›The parachute would have to be designed with the highest degree of strength and size (a parachute will slow down a heavy object in direct proportion to the parachute's area). And of course, the car would still be coming in hard even with an open parachute.
How many cars have been destroyed in the Fast and Furious franchise? ›Fast & Furious: 190 Cars. Fast Five: 260 cars. Fast & Furious 6: 350 cars. Furious 7: 230 cars.
Will there be fast and furious 11? ›Fast & Furious 11 will be the final instalment in The Fast Saga.
Who is the little boy in Fast 9? ›Vin Diesel's 10-year-old son, Vincent Sinclair, will appear in “Fast & Furious 9” as the younger version of Diesel's character, Dominic Toretto. Marking Sinclair's first role on the big screen, Variety confirmed that the actor filmed his scenes in 2019.
Who pulls up at the end of Fast 9? ›The camera focuses on a hooded person in a sweatsuit and sneakers boxing a punching bag. The mystery person finally takes off the hood to reveal they're none other than Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), who we last saw in 2019's "Hobbs & Shaw" spinoff.
Is there going to be a Fast and Furious 12? ›Fans will be happy to know that there is going to be Fast and Furious 11 after the 10th installment releases in 2023. However, there will not be the 12th movie. Vin had confirmed the news while talking to Associated Press about Fast and Furious 9.
How old is Vin Diesel now? ›
Will there be Hobbs and Shaw 2? ›To the delight of many Fast & Furious fans, Hobbs & Shaw 2 hasn't been canceled. In fact, the cast and crew seem ready to dive in.
Why rock is not in F9? ›Johnson did not appear in F9, and this was largely due to the friction between the actor and Vin Diesel on the Fast & Furious sets. Ultimately, The Rock decided that he didn't want to deal with it again, and publicly announced he wouldn't return for the final two Fast films.
Who is the villain in Fast and Furious 10? ›Jason Momoa Teases His 'Androgynous' 'Fast and Furious 10' Villain: 'He's a Bit of a Peacock' After playing the hero for so long, Jason Momoa is ready to be the bad guy. The actor can't wait to unveil his villainous role in Universal's “Fast X,” the tenth mainline entry in the “Fast and Furious” saga.
Is fast and furious 9 the last one? ›Fast and Furious 10 will be the second-to-last film in the blockbuster franchise, and Dominic Toretto's next adventure is set to be one of the biggest so far. “Just wait for 10,” Vin Diesel, who plays Dom, said in a January 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Would a car fall faster than a human? ›Answer 2: No, heavier objects fall as fast (or slow) as lighter objects, if we ignore the air friction. The air friction can make a difference, but in a rather complicated way. The gravitational acceleration for all objects is the same.
Did they really jump out of a plane in fast 7? ›You didn't expect the studio would have its most valuable stars buckle in to some cars as they plummeted nearly uncontrolled out of an airplane. But the major part of the scene—the cars backing out of the plane and parachuting to the ground—was an actual, real-life stunt. Watch how they pulled it off.
Did they really drop cars from a plane in Furious 7? ›As a result, Furious 7's cargo plane stunt actually dropped real cars for the set-piece. While the sequence inevitably contains CGI to insert the actors into the action, Furious 7 did drop real cars from planes. Filming for Furious 7's cargo plane drop stunt took place in the skies above the Arizona desert.
Are real cars destroyed in movies? ›VFX makes everything look real. So, when it comes to cars in films, recent VFX and CGI advancements make it seem like a real car is being blown up. It's all just the magic of science and technology.
What happened to all the cars from Fast and Furious? ›348 cars were destroyed in some capacity for The Fate of the Furious (2017). This came out of a total of about $527 million in damaged cars for the first seven movies. In conclusion, that brings the total to 1,835. However, that doesn't count F9 (2019), which would likely take the total up to around 2,000.
Why was Paul Walker not in Tokyo drift? ›
Paul Walker wasn't asked to return because the studio felt he was too old. The first draft of the script featured the return of Diesel's character, Dominic Toretto. This is only Fast and the Furious film not to star Paul Walker (prior to his death).
Is Gisele coming back in Fast 10? ›While there are no known plans for Gisele to return for Fast & Furious 10 to date, the evidence laid out by this fan-favorite theory and Han's own return makes a compelling case that she won't be far behind him.
Who is the villain in Fast and Furious 11? ›Posted April 21, 2022, 8:54 p.m. Fast X villain Jason Momoa has let slip about a major returning villain. During an interview with ET, the 42-year-old Aquaman star revealed that Charlize Theron will be back as the Cipher – the main villain from The Fate of The Furious.
Is Little Brian Dom's son? ›The Little Brian Factor
Dom and Letty, who are married, aspire to a quiet life raising Brian Marcos, who's about four years old and referred to as Little Brian. He is Dom's son with the late Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky).
Yup, Dom has a son, and the mother is Elsa Pataky's character, Elena, who early on informs Dom that she calls their son Michael (his middle name) because a father should be the one to name his child.
Who is the mother of Dom's son? ›Brian Marcos is the son of Elena Neves and Dominic Toretto, the stepson of Letty Ortiz, the nephew of Jakob and Mia Toretto, and the cousin of Jack and his younger sister.
Is Brian coming back in Fast 10? ›There is so far no confirmation that Brian O'Connor is going to be in Fast X, but the teases have continued. Mia is coming back once more after Vin Diesel demanded it. While her absence in the original script could point to Fast & Furious 10 not having any plans for Brian, her addition might have changed that.
Who pulls up in the blue car at the end of F9? ›The vehicle is obviously a blue Nissan, which suggests that the identity of the driver is none other than Brian O'Connor, who watched over his and Dom's kids in F9, but was noticeably absent during the barbecue.
Why did Dom name his son Brian? ›At a rooftop barbecue in the final scene, Dom introduced everyone to his child, who he named Brian after late star Paul Walker's character, Brian O'Conner.
Which movie has the most sequels? ›- Viewing This Surprising Roster. ...
- Friday the 13th: 12+ Movies 1980 - ...
- Star Trek: 12+ Movies 1979 - ...
- James Bond: 23+ Movies 1962 - ...
- Godzilla: 28+ Movies 1954 - ...
- Carry On: 31 Films from 1958 - 1992. ...
- The Marvel Cinematic Universe: 31+ Movies 2008 -
Is Gisele alive Fast and Furious? ›
While attempting to stop a plane, she is left hanging from the back of a Range Rover. Han attempts to rescue her, but Adolfson (Benjamin Davies), a member of Shaw's gang, uses the opportunity to try and kill him. Gisele lets go of Han's hand to shoot Adolfson, and she falls to her death.
Which Fast and Furious did they go to Dubai? ›Written by Chris Morgan and directed by James Wan, the seventh instalment of the action-packed Fast & Furious franchise was shot in parts of Abu Dhabi and starred Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges and Tyrese Gibson.
Who is richer The Rock or Vin Diesel? ›According to Celebrity Net Worth, Vin Diesel has a net worth of $225 million. Considering the fact that The Rock has a reported net worth of $800 million, he is worth hundreds of millions of dollars more than his rival, Vin Diesel.
How much does Vin Diesel earn? ›| Net Worth: | $255 Million |
|---|---|
| Salary: | $24 Million + |
| Monthly Income: | $2 Million + |
| Date of Birth: | July 18, 1967 |
| Gender: | Male |
The actor has been well compensated for voicing the character. As per the reports, he was paid a whopping $54.5 million, which means a slick $13 million for every movie that Groot has been featured in.
What is Jason Statham worth? ›...
| Jason Statham | |
|---|---|
| Statham in 2018 | |
| Born | 26 July 1967 Shirebrook, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1993–present |
The Eteon Director is the overarching antagonist in the Fast & Furious spin-off movie, Hobbs & Shaw. He is the unseen leader of Eteon, who commands Brixton Lore to retrieve the Snowflake virus to wipe out all of humanity in order to create a better humanity.
Who is the computer in Hobbs and Shaw? ›The Voice is John Cena
It was true for both Hobbs and Shaw (Jason Statham), who opposed Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and the Fast crew in Fast Five and Furious 7, respectively.
The drifting in the movie was performed by professional drivers. As reported in a recent Sport Compact Car, Rhys Millen, his father Rod, and a handful of other famous rally and drift racers consistently performed drift sequences for the movie. Over 100 cars were destroyed or wrecked during the filming of this movie.
How Fast do they drive in Fast and Furious? ›Although faster cars are featured in the franchise, some with top speeds exceeding 200 mph, they typically are given neither the stretch of straightaway nor the time required to reach their top speeds, and with no speedometer shots to prove otherwise, this makes Brian's roughly 161 mph drive the fastest, confirmed ...
What car does Letty drive in Fast 7? ›
The 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT is a car driven by Letty Ortiz in Furious 7.
What was the car in Fast and Furious 7? ›The W Motors Lykan HyperSport seen jumping between Abu Dhabi skyscrapers in Fast & Furious 7 is headed to auction.
Who is the world's best car drifter? ›| Keiichi Tsuchiya | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 30, 1956 (age 66) Tōmi, Nagano, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1994–2000 |
The famous motorcyclist turned driver, Kunimitsu Takahashi, is widely regarded as the foremost creator of drifting techniques in the 1970s. Takahashi is a former professional motorcycle and car racing driver and was in fact the first Japanese racer to win a motorcycle Grand prix, back in Germany in 1961.
Why was Vin Diesel not in Tokyo Drift? ›Therefore, in exchange for doing the cameo in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Diesel didn't want cash, he wanted the film rights to the Riddick character, which were owned by Universal Pictures, the makers of the Fast & Furious films.
Did Paul Walker do his own driving? ›But did you know that Paul Walker was also a racecar driver in real life? Yes, he actually competed in the Redline Time Attack racing series and was on the AE Performance Team (AE as in Always Evolving, his car shop name). He drove a BMW M3 E92 at the 2010 West Coast event in the Street Tire class.
Who is the fastest driver in Fast and Furious? ›1 Dominic Toretto Has And Will Always Be The Fastest Driver
Dominic Toretto's crew have participated in some of cinema's craziest car stunts, but it's the man himself who holds the title of fastest driver in the Fast & Furious franchise. As it turns out, he really does live his life a quarter-mile at a time.
The 2011 Bugatti Veyron was a mean speed machine and, with its dazzling presence, was the fastest car in the Fast and Furious franchise. The Bugatti Veyron made a brief cameo in the 2015 movie Fast and Furious 7.
What car does Mia Toretto drive? ›Back in 2001's The Fast and the Furious, Jordana Brewster played Mia Toretto, the sister of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and love interest for Brian O'Connor (the super-dreamy Paul Walker). And in that film she drove a second-generation Acura Integra.
What car is Lightning McQueen? ›Lighting McQueen is modeled after the Chevrolet Corvette C1 and the Chevrolet Corvette C6. However, if you were to ask McQueen himself, he would probably say something along the lines of a "2006 Custom-Built Piston Cup Racing stock car."
What's the most expensive car? ›
The world's most expensive car is the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO with an estimated price tag of $70 million. This car was victorious not only in the Tour de France, but it also placed in the Le Mans. Read our full guide for all of the world's most expensive cars.
What kills Paul Walker? › Who owns the 7 Lykan Hypersports? ›In June 2015, the Abu Dhabi Police purchased a Lykan HyperSport. The Abu Dhabi Police car is included in the total of fifteen, meaning only seven were available for purchase by customers.