Theme park attractions[edit]
After the release of Tokyo Drift in 2006, Universal began introducing theme park attractions. From 2006 to 2013, The Fast and the Furious: Extreme Close-Up attraction was included as part of the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. The tour's tram would enter a small arena, which featured a demonstration of prop vehicles being manipulated by articulated robotic arms.[91][92][93][94]
A new attraction, Fast & Furious: Supercharged, opened as part of the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2015. The tour's tram passes the Dodge Chargers used in the fifth film, as riders are shown a video of Luke Hobbs, who informs them a high-valued witness sought by Owen Shaw is on the tram. The tram enters a warehouse party, where the cast appear via a Pepper's ghost effect, before the party is shut down by the FBI and the tram moves into a motion simulator where a chase sequence ensues, led by Roman Pearce, Letty Ortiz, and Dominic Toretto.[95][96] A similar attraction opened at Universal Studios Florida in 2018.[97] In the queue, guests pass through a garage with memorabilia from the films before getting a video call from Tej Parker and Mia Toretto inviting them to a party. Guests board "party buses", where they get the video message from Hobbs and the ride proceeds as it does in the Hollywood version.[98]
Tour[edit]
In 2018, Universal announced Fast & Furious Live, a series of live shows which combine stunt driving, pyrotechnics, and projection mapping to recreate scenes from the films and perform other stunts. During production, thousands of stunt performers and drivers auditioned and were required to undergo a four-month training camp if selected.[99] Additionally, parkour athletes, and stunts requiring both drivers and parkour practitioners, also featured.[100]
- ^ After the primary leg of the tour concluded, Fast & Furious Live was extended in September 2018 for five additional shows.
The tour was panned by critics. Ryan Gilbey of The Guardian wrote "large sections of seating were closed off; entire rows in the rest of it were empty" and "the only danger in Fast & Furious Live is the audience might die of carbon monoxide poisoning. Or boredom."[102] Adam White of The Daily Telegraph gave the show a two out of five rating, commenting that "Fast & Furious Live often feels like an elaborate if lethargic playground game, one hinging almost entirely on imagination."[103][104]
The tour was a financial failure; the show's production company entered administration in summer 2018 and all the cars and equipment was auctioned off in 2019.[105]
Video games[edit]
Fast & Furious has spawned several video games tied into the series, or has served as inspiration for other games, notably Midnight Club. The game The Fast and the Furious was released in 2004 for mobile phones and arcade,[106] and was based on the first installment, and the sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious, was released in the same year exclusively for mobile phones, and was based on the second installment. The game The Fast and the Furious was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, and drew heavy inspiration from Tokyo Drift. The game sold moderately, and to mixed reviews. Another video game was due to be developed and released in 2003 by Genki, but was cancelled for unknown reasons.
Several other games have been released for mobile phones, specifically the iOS and Android devices, with the unlicensed tie-ins The Fast and the Furious: Pink Slip, as well as the licensed Fast & Furious, Fast Five and Fast & Furious: Adrenaline. Universal helped develop the tie-in Fast & Furious 6: The Game for the sixth installment, and aided development for Fast & Furious: Legacy.
Fast & Furious: Showdown was released in 2013 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. It marked the second game for consoles, and players controls multiple characters; its narrative was designed around the gap between the fifth and sixth film. It opened to negative reviews and middling financial success.[107] Also, various cars, locations and characters from the franchise has appeared in the Facebook game Car Town.
In 2015, in a deal with Microsoft Studios, an expansion of Forza Horizon 2 was released for Xbox 360 and Xbox One, titled Forza Horizon 2 Presents: Fast & Furious. It was released to promote Furious 7, and received generally positive reception, although, some critics lamented the limited involvement from the titular characters.[108] In 2017, vehicular soccer game Rocket League released a downloadable content (DLC) pack in promotion for The Fate of the Furious, where players would be able to purchase the Dodge Charger from the film as well as its exclusive wheels, and six other new customizations.[109]
Fast & Furious Crossroads was announced at The Game Awards 2019. It was developed by Slightly Mad Studios, who worked on Need for Speed: Shift and the Project CARS series, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game was originally scheduled for release in May 2020, but it was almost complete but had been indefinitely delayed due to logistical problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[110] Fast & Furious Crossroads was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on August 7, 2020,[111] to largely negative reception.[112]
Toys[edit]
In 2002, RadioShack sold ZipZaps micro radio-controlled car versions of those from the first film,[113] while diecast metal manufacturer Racing Champions released replicas of cars from the first two installments in different scales from 1/18 to 1/64, in 2004.[114]
AMT Ertl rivaled the cars released by Racing Champions by producing 1/24-scale plastic model kits in 2004, while Johnny Lightning, under the JL Full Throttle Brand, released 1/64 and 1/24 models of the cars from Tokyo Drift. These models were designed by renowned diecast designer Eric Tscherne. In 2011, Universal licensed the company Greenlight to sell model cars from all films in anticipation for Fast Five.[115] Since 2013, Hot Wheels has released 1/64 models of every car from and since the sixth installment.[116]
In 2020, LEGO produced a set in their Technic line of Dom's Dodge Charger.[117][118][119]
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