Universal is officially putting the pedal to the metal on the small screen. A live-action TV expansion of the blockbuster Fast & Furious franchise is now in development at Peacock, with franchise star Vin Diesel attached as an executive producer. According to reports coming out of NBCUniversal’s upfront presentation (via Deadline) the streamer isn’t just developing one series, it’s plotting four separate shows set within the Fast & Furious universe!
The announcement was made by Diesel himself during NBCUniversal’s presentation, where he revealed that Peacock is “launching four shows” connected to the action saga. Specific plot details are being kept under wraps, but the projects are coming our way from Universal Television.
Diesel told attendees at the presentation, “As you all know, we are very precious about these movies but over the last decade, we’ve realized that the fans have wanted more, they wanted us to expand the legacy characters, their stories. And for the last decade, the desire has been for us to enter the TV space.“
When Universal Studios chief Donna Langley took oversight of NBCUniversal’s TV operation last year, Diesel knew it was time to give a greenlight to the idea of live-action TV shows. “That’s when I knew that the integrity of the characters, the international appeal, what makes us all feel like family will be protected in the TV space.“
Diesel will executive produce these shows through his One Race banner alongside Fast & Furious franchise producer Neal Moritz and Chris Morgan, who has written most of the films. Also producing are Pavun Shetty and Jeff Kirschenbaum. One of the pilot episodes is being written by Mike Daniels and Wolfe Coleman, a duo that previously collaborated on the NBC series Shades of Blue.
This isn’t the first time the franchise has driven into television territory, as the animated series Fast & Furious: Spy Racers ran for six seasons on Netflix and was also executive produced by Diesel, Moritz, and Morgan.
The Fast & Furious film franchise began in 2001 with The Fast and the Furious and, sequel by sequel, evolved from a street-racing thriller into a globe-trotting adventure that has grossed billions worldwide. The movie side of the franchise is now expected to come to an end end with its next installment, which is titled Fast Forever and is scheduled to reach theatres on March 17, 2028.
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