'The Crown' actress Vanessa Kirby to star alongside Dwayne Johnson in 'Fast and Furious' spin off
English actress Vanessa Kirby, best known for her role as Princess Margaret in acclaimed critical series 'The Crown,' is said to be in final negotiations to be cast alongside Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in Universal's 'The Fast and Furious' spin-off 'Hobbs & Shaw.'
Kirby performance as the erstwhile princess in the Peter Morgan-written and Stephen Daldry-directed historical drama series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II earned her rave appraisals and saw her win the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Television Series in 2018. With her role in 'Hobbs & Shaw,' she will look to establish herself in the Hollywood elite.
She will also be starring alongside Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Michelle Monaghan, and Alec Baldwin in the upcoming 'Mission: Impossible: Fallout,' which is set to release on July 27 later this month.
'Hobbs & Shaw' will see Johnson and Statham back in their roles of Diplomatic Security Service agent Luke Hobbs and assassin Deckard Shaw respectively and though details are currently scarce, Variety reports that the film will see the pair, who are often at loggerheads with one another, pair up for a common cause. Kirby has been cast as an MI-5 agent and Shaw's sister.
Universal is said to have wanted to give the go-ahead for a potential spin-off and thus give Johnson a leading role in his own standalone film in the franchise since his introduction in the fifth film, 'Fast Five.' His subsequent chemistry with Statham beginning 'Furious 7' saw the studio fast-track the spin-off and Johnson announcing the movie this past October.
David Leitch, who earned praise for directing the likes of 'John Wick,' 'Atomic Blonde,' and 'Deadpool 2,' will be helming a script penned by 'The Fast and Furious' screenwriter Chris Morgan. Original Film's Neal H. Moritz will serve as producer alongside Johnson and his Seven Bucks Productions partners, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia, Jason Statham.
Joining Chris Morgan will be Kelly McCormick, Steve Chasman, Amanda Lewis, Ainsley Davies, and Ethan Smith, the executive producers. Executive Vice President of Production Mark Sourain and Vice President Jay Polidoro overseeing the film at Universal.
Besides the spin-off, the ninth and tenth film in the 'The Fast and Furious' franchise are also currently in the works. The ninth is slated for an April 10, 2020 release, and the tenth, and supposedly final film in the series is set with a release date of April 2, 2021. Jordana Brewster will be returning for the ninth, with Daniel Casey (Kin) writing the screenplay.
'Hobbs & Shaw' is scheduled to premiere on August 2, 2019.
