A third movie in the Fast and the Furious “franchise” was inevitable.  Look, that’s something we’re just going to have to accept.  Despite a cast of colorful vehicles with more personality than the human stars and an absence of imagination or narrative, the movies generated truckloads of cash, so a third one is revving up and a hot Asian babe is holding the starting flag.

Neal Moritz, who specializes in excessively loud and flashy movies (see: Torque, XXX, etc.), is producing a third CG-assisted race flick.  Universal has given director Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow) the assignment, which shifts the location to Tokyo and the world of “drift racing”, something millions of Americans have already armchair experienced thanks to Playstation proliferation.

As Paul Walker and his singular expression are apparently not returning and Vin Diesel’s biceps are otherwise occupied, the new story (from Cellular rewriter Chris Morgan) introduces a fresh young nitrous-powered leadfoot whose involvement in illegal street racing lands him in trouble with the law.  Sent to live with his Army uncle in Japan, he gets back into the driver’s seat and finds himself dealing with the yakuza, fast cars and a soundtrack filled with J-Rock.

I wonder how Lin (who’s also developing Universal’s remake of the Korean flick Oldboy, also not a good idea) landed this gig.  Was it his portrayal of disaffected Asian youth in Better Luck Tomorrow?  Did Furious alumni Tyrese and Jordana Brewster, cast members on his last project Annapolis, pressure him into it?  Or is it just because he’s one of about eight Asians currently working in Hollywood? 

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