The first trailer for Hobbs & Shaw is here, and it sports an appropriate soundtrack to set the stage for the franchise spinoff. When the original Fast & Furious film premiered in 2001, few would have predicted it would go on to become one of the most popular properties in all of Hollywood. Eight installments in, the series is still going strong (The Fate of the Furious grossed over $1 billion worldwide back in 2017) and returns to theaters this summer with Hobbs & Shaw. As the title suggests, the film sees characters Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) team up to take down villain Brixton (Idris Elba).

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Recently, there’s been a noticeable marketing push for Hobbs & Shaw, as it’s one of the few titles receiving a TV spot during this year’s Super Bowl broadcast. In the lead-up to the big game, Universal generated hype via the release of still images and a Fast & Furious inspired logo. Now, just days before the Super Bowl takes place, a full trailer is available online to see. In keeping with the franchise’s over-the-top sensibilities, it has a cheeky musical selection that’s sure to amuse viewers.

Related: Every Upcoming Fast & Furious Movie

The Hobbs & Shaw trailer incorporates War’s classic song “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”, which appeared on the band’s 1975 album of the same name. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 weekly chart. In 1998, Smash Mouth recorded a cover version for their Fush Yu Mang album.

Update: The new trailer is set to Jay-Z’s “PSA (Public Service Announcement)

See also  Love Island UK: The 10 Most Dramatic Casa Amor Moments

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of the Fast & Furious films knows why this song is ideal for the trailer. Hobbs and Shaw don’t necessarily get along (as the footage repeatedly highlights), and they need to set aside their personal differences for the greater good. Their partnership is the latest riff on the tried and true buddy movie formula, where two mismatched individuals are forced to work together. Johnson and Statham have demonstrated their terrific chemistry on multiple Fast & Furious mainline entries, which is what inspired the creation of this spinoff. It’ll be interesting to see how their dynamic evolves over the course of the new movie and if that’ll impact future Fast & Furious movies. It’s already been confirmed Johnson is sitting Fast & Furious 9 out.

Hobbs & Shaw has potential to be something of a game-changer for Universal’s main cash cow. In keeping with the current trends of the movie business, the studio is looking to expand the property into their own “shared universe,” complementing the remaining Fast & Furious films with spinoffs. Vin Diesel already revealed writers for an all-female Fast & Furious spinoff, suggesting this is jut the beginning of these ambitious plans. Based on the box office totals, it’s easy to see why Universal would be as interested in as many Fast & Furious installments at possible, so hopefully Hobbs & Shaw can be a big hit and get the spinoff initiative started on the right foot. Johnson and Statham are two of the biggest action stars working today, so on-paper, this should work.

More: Everything You Need To Know About Hobbs & Shaw

Key Release Dates
See also  Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The 10 Saddest Things About Terry
  • Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)Release date: Aug 02, 2019
Avengers: Endgame Theory – Who Hulk Saw In The Soulworld

About The Author


Chris Agar
(5543 Articles Published)

Chris Agar is a news editor for Screen Rant, also writing features and movie reviews for the site as one of Screen Rant’s Rotten Tomatoes approved critics. He is a graduate of Wesley College’s Bachelor of Media Arts and Master of Sport Leadership programs. In 2013, Chris was hired to write weekly box office prediction posts in conjunction with the Screen Rant Underground podcast’s Box Office Battle game and his role expanded over the next few years. In addition to covering the latest news and hottest movie topics daily, Chris has attended numerous media events for Screen Rant, including San Diego Comic-Con, delivering content his readers care about. He credits Star Wars and Toy Story with launching a lifelong fascination with movies that led to his career, and now he has a wide range of cinematic tastes, enjoying the latest Hollywood blockbusters, Oscar contenders, and everything in between. Chris’ favorite film genres include sci-fi/fantasy, crime, action, and drama.

More From Chris Agar