The Rock's Fast & Furious Spin-Off Movie Sets Sights On Deadpool 2 Director

The Fast & Furious franchise spin-off starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, Hobbs & Shaw, won't be in theaters for over a year, but the film might have finally found a director. The film will follow Johnson and Statham's characters on a solo adventure, without Dom (Vin Diesel) and the rest of his family.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Deadpool 2 director David Leitch is in talks to take on the project. With an action movie pedigree that includes directing John Wick and Atomic Blonde, Leitch would certainly be more than capable of taking on this piece of the franchise. Interesting, it was previously reported that Iron Man 3 director Shane Black was in the running to helm the project.

While anticipated by fans, the spin-off has been an odd source of contention among some members of the Fast and Furious franchise. Tyrese Gibson, who plays Roman Pearce in the films, went on a well-documented rant against Johnson in 2017, after Hobbs and Shaw led to the release date of Fast and Furious 9 getting pushed back. At one point, the actor even threatened to quit the franchise over the debacle. Thankfully, the drama seems to have ended.

The Hobbs & Shaw script is written by Chris Morgan, who has penned six other movies in the franchise. The spin-off is scheduled to hit theaters on July 26, 2019. Leitch's next movie, Deadpool 2, arrived on May 18.