Need for Speed wasn’t a huge hit back in 2014 and critics definitely either loved it or hated it, but fans of the Fast & Furious movies appeared to really enjoy this more grounded take on the world of street racing.
With a gross of $200 million worldwide, the video game adaptation wasn’t exactly a flop, and the fact that a whopping $65 million of that came from China (an increasingly more important box office territory) made headlines at the time. Well, the sequel is now moving ahead, and it’s set to be a Chinese co-production.
This is similar to other recent blockbusters like Iron Man 3 and Transformers: Age of Extinction.
What this means is that much of the movie will be shot in China and will use actors from the country. It’s not clear whether Aaron Paul or any of the other Need for Speed stars will return, but it wouldn’t be too surprising if this ended up being a reboot of sorts. Production is scheduled to begin later this year.
It’s also thought that a writer and director for Need for Speed 2 will be announced shortly. “This venture is another great endeavor to bridge the cultures between China and the West through films. We look forward to cooperating with excellent films and filmmakers to thrill and entertain movie lovers internationally with more outstanding films with Chinese labels,” said Cao Yin, chairman of China Movie Channel.
