Dwayne Johnson teases Fast & Furious spin-off

It seems that Dwayne Johnson couldn’t be busier. With several upcoming projects, his most intriguing future project is the recently announced Fast and Furious spin-off.

Johnson’s plate is packed with the upcoming release of his third movie of 2017, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, out on December 20. Other projects include the action-thriller Skyscraper, the arcade game monster movie Rampage, and Disney’s Jungle Cruise.

With a set 2019 release date, Johnson shared with EW new details about the much anticipated Hobbs (Johnson) and Shaw (Jason Statham) spin-off.

“It’s been a challenging process because I feel like my intention from day one, when I first joined the cast, was to hopefully come in, have fun, and create a character that people will hopefully like and try to elevate the franchise,” Johnson says. “But in the process of elevating the franchise, I have always thought that in order for this to have real longevity and legs, we should spin out and create characters that can live on their own.”

Johnson revealed that the studio first considered a potential spin-off around the release of the 6th installment of the Fast & Furious franchise. But it was just after this year’s Fate of the Furious that it was decided that it will center on Johnson and Statham.

With longtime Fast & Furious writer Chris Morgan penning the script, Johnson said that all he wants is to make a film that fans will enjoy. He also said that some “big stars” are in talks to join the production.

“At the end of the day, the only thing I want to do is make a great movie for the fans. I never ever get wrapped up in the sludge of the bulls— that can be connected at times to a franchise. So I never get dragged into it. I never respond to any of that.”

The spin-off will hit theaters July 26, 2019, with Fast 9 scheduled for April 10, 2020.