"The Fast and the Furious" movie was originally released on June 22, 2001, and little did anyone know then that this feature film about street racing will turn into a massive billion-dollar franchise. As the first film completes 20 years, its characters, action sequences and set pieces have grown phenomenally large. It also immensely contributed to the superstardom of the actors associated with the film while also putting the American tuner scene at the forefront for the world to see. So, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, here are five 'fast facts' about the first film.
Also Read: Paul Walker's Toyota Supra From The Fast & The Furious Sells For A Record ₹ 4.07 Crore
The Fast and the Furious spawned 8 more sequels with the latest movie releasing earlier this year | Photo Credit: Universal
The producers read a 1998 article published in Vibe magazine about illegal drag racers in Queens, New York City. This became the inspiration for The Fast and the Furious film franchise. The movie also took inspiration from other films like Point Break, Stagecoach, Donnie Brasco, and the West Side Story at various parts.
Actors Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez had to get their licences before filming began | Photo Credit: Universal
Interesting, the female leads Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez didn't have their driver's license before the shoot of the film. The actors had to get the licences before filming began.
The actors drove F1 cars when preparing for the race scenes before filming
In fact, that was not the only training they had to go through. The main characters trained at a racing school in Las Vegas in preparation for the street racing scenes. They all drove Formula 1 cars and improved their driving skills on the track.
Over 1500 cars featured in the Race Wars sequence, while illegal street racers were also part of the racing scenes in the movie | Photo Credit: Universal
The famous Race Wars sequence in the film looked too good to be true but it was, in fact, all real. About 1500 cars featured in that sequence with 1000 extras. Director Rob Cohen also visited illegal street races while preparing for the first film in order to make the race scenes look more authentic. The movie also featured some 200 real street racers with their souped-up race cars to fill out the racing sequences.
The movie was originally titled Redline, which the producers thought wasn't catchy enough | Photo Credit: Universal
The first The Fasta and the Furious was originally titled 'Redline' at the time of production. However, the name wasn't catchy enough, and so, the producers opted for the alternative title. However, the name was already owned by director Roger Corman, who had produced another film of the same name in 1955. Universal Studios decided to trade some archival stock footage they owned for the name instead of buying the rights.
The Toretto house was painted white so the customised cars would look better on camera
Photo Credit: Photo Credit: Universal
An interesting trivia from the film is Dominic Toretto's house "1327" which was the centre point for most characters in the film. While the house has garnered an iconic status amidst F&F superfans, not many know that the house was painted white specifically for the film. Director Cohen had done so so that the colours of the movie's customised cars would show off better and make for a vibrant frame on celluloid.
