Summary
TheFast and Furiousmovie that almost killed the franchise and made it go back to its original formula also gave it its best character. More than 20 years afterThe Fast and the Furious, the stories of Dominic Toretto and Brian O’Connor have evolved into a blockbuster franchise that has grossed over $7 billion worldwide. DespiteFast X’s underwhelming box office, theFast and Furiousmovieshave been one of the most consistent Hollywood franchises for years now. That said,the Fast Saga struggled to find its identity in the early 2000s.
The Fast and the Furious(2001) was a surprising hit, grossing over $207 million on a budget of $38 million. While those numbers may seem low compared to the box office results of films likeFurious 7orThe Fate of the Furious, it’s important to remember thatthe Fast Saga only truly entered “blockbuster territory” in 2011 withFast Five.Fast & Furious(2009) had been a step in the right direction two years earlier, but before that,Fast and Furiousreleased its lowest-grossing movie.
Tokyo Drift Remains Fast & Furious’ Lowest Grossing Film 18 Years Later
On a $85 million budget,The Fast and the Furious:Tokyo Driftgrossed $159 million worldwide in 2006.The movie remains thelowest-grossing entry in theFast and Furiousfranchise18 years later, and it almost ended the Fast Saga forever.2 Fast 2 Furioushad already been a complicated release, as Vin Diesel did not return for the sequel. While2 Fast 2 Furiousdid make more than its predecessor, its underwhelming box office led to studio to try to reinvent the franchise with a third installment that moved away from Brian O’Conner and Dominic Toretto.
The Fast and the Furious
$207,517,509
$236,350,661
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
$158,964,610
$360,366,870
$626,137,675
$788,680,968
$1,515,341,399
$1,236,005,118
$760,732,926
$726,229,501
Fast X
$714,555,549
Early ideas forTokyo Driftpictured it as a Dominic Toretto movie, but those were scrapped. Paul Walker was not asked to return for the third installment, which essentially served as a spinoff featuring brand-new characters. WhileTokyo Driftis now regarded by many as one of the best or at least most nostalgicFast and Furiousmovies, especially compared to the big-budget action films that came after it, the film was a critical and financial disappointment in 2006. With two underwhelming releases back to back,Fast and Furious’ only hope was to bring back Vin Diesel and Paul Walker.
Tokyo Drift Didn’t Reignite The Franchise, But It Gave Us Han
Han is Tokyo Drift’s biggest legacy.
Tokyo Driftmay not have been the fresh start for theFast and Furiousfranchise the studio hoped it to be, but it at least gave the Fast Saga one of its best characters, if not the best. Han, played by Sung Kang, was introduced inTokyo Driftas an associate of Takashi.Most of Han’s backstory up until the events ofTokyo Driftwould only be created years later as part of consecutive retconsthat came with Sung Kang’s return in otherFast & Furiousmovies, but the character was compelling enough right from the start.
Han was technically introduced in 2002’sBetter Luck Tomorrow, which was directed by Justin Lin and featured Sung Kang in a role that would later be incorporated inTokyo Drift.
Sean wasTokyo Drift’s protagonist, but Han is the one who stole the show. It seemed like nothing could bother Han, who was always eating a snack and was not afraid of standing up against guys like Takashi. Han’s death inTokyo Driftwas a tragic moment considering how fun the character had been throughout the movie, but fortunately, it was not the end of his story. TheFast and Furioustimelineis only as confusing as it is because of Han, whose consecutive returns after his deaths caused the franchise’s chronology to be rearranged.
Fast & Furious 4 Thankfully Brought Han Into The Family
Fast & Furious ruined its timeline to bring Han back.
Sung Kang surprisingly reprised his role as Han in the opening sequence ofFast & Furious(2009), which indirectly retconnedTokyo Driftas being set after the fourth movie. The same would happen inFast FiveandFast & Furious 6. In other words,once the third movie in theFast and Furiousfranchise,Tokyo Driftwas now the sixth entry in the Fast Sagafrom a chronological standpoint. As confusing as the placement ofTokyo Driftin the timeline was, bringing back Han for three more movies was worth it.
Mr. Nobody had previously worked with Gisele and helped fake Han’s death.
Fast Fivebrought the franchise together by featuring characters from all previous films, with Han serving as a reminder thatTokyo Driftwas part of this larger universe. It was inFast Fivethat Han and Gisele started to become a thing – this relationship would continue untilFast & Furious 6, during which Gisele seemingly died.Han’s death was retconned yet again inFast & Furious 6’s final scene, during which Owen Shaw’s brother was revealed to be the one behind it.F9would then retconTokyo Drifta third time and reveal Han never died.
To answer the “Justice for Han” campaign,F9established that Han was approached by Mr. Nobody before the events ofTokyo Drift. Mr. Nobody had previously worked with Gisele and helped fake Han’s death. It is unclear how exactly Han and Mr. Nobody pulled it off, but the fact is that, after missingFurious 7andThe Fate of the Furious,Sung Kang’s character returned inF9.The film revealed more about what Han was doing in Tokyo duringTokyo Driftand introduced his protégé, Elle. An essential part of the family, Han was also inFast X.
Han’s Fast & Furious Legacy Now Goes Beyond Tokyo Drift
Han has been in six Fast and Furious movies.
Han became the face ofThe Fast and the Furious:Tokyo Drift, arguably working better than the movie’s protagonist, Sean. Still, sixteen years afterTokyo Drift, Han’sFast and Furiouslegacy goes way beyond the spinoff film. In hindsight,having Han be part of Dom’s crew inFast & Furious(2009) was a great ideathat allowedTokyo Drift’s breakout new character to join the family for multiple more movies.Fast Five’s ensemble cast changedFast and Furiousforever, and Han was an important part of it alongside names like Roman, Tej, and Gisele.
Fast 11: Cast, Story & Everything We Know About The Fast & Furious Movie
With the upcoming Fast 11 aiming to close out the beloved action franchise, there’s plenty to learn about the next installment in the Fast & Furious.
The “Justice for Han” campaign also defined the character’s journey inFast and Furious, particularly afterThe Fate of the Furiousredeemed Deckard Shaw. It was strange that Dom and the others would welcome the man who killed Han to their barbecue, even though Shaw helped save Toretto’s son. Regardless,F9helped make things right by bringing Han back once and for all.Fast Xeven delivered a small interaction between Han and Shaw, and there will hopefully be a Han and Gisele reunion inFast & Furious11now that she is confirmed to be alive.
Cast
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift centers on Sean Boswell, who moves to Tokyo to live with his military father to avoid jail time. Immersed in the city’s underground drift racing scene, Sean navigates the challenges of his new environment and the intricacies of high-stakes racing.
