HWI 577

Hollywood What If Chapter 577

Fast and Furious 3 was successful. Most people probably expected it. After all, this was the part where the old cast of the franchise, Dom Toreto and the others had returned. Especially now when Vin Diesel had a good run at the box office and he was popular.

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) is living in the Dominican Republic, lying low after the events of the first film. After hearing that his girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) has been murdered, Dom returns to Los Angeles to hunt down her killer. He reconnects with Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), who is now working for the FBI and also investigating the same drug cartel responsible for Letty’s death.

The two reluctantly team up to take down Arturo Braga, a ruthless drug lord who smuggles heroin across the U.S.-Mexico border using high-speed drivers. As they go undercover and race against time (and each other), Dom seeks vengeance while Brian is torn between his duty and loyalty to Dom and Mia (Dom's sister). (Source: ChatGpt.)

Unlike other CCU movies, Fast and Furious 3 had a down-to-earth plot. It didn't tackle anything about the High Table or the terrible terrorist attack in the last Arc. Yet despite this simple plot, the audience loved it.

Perhaps people were just looking for a not complicated plot. Furthermore, despite having a simple plot, the other aspects of the movie were delivered amazingly.

Most fans of Fast and Furious were car enthusiasts and also fans of street racing. Every installment of Fast and Furious had street racing and that was what these people were waiting for. Thankfully, the street racing part of the movie was satisfying, Kazir made sure of that.

The chase scenes were cool, the engine roars were loud, and the fast-moving cars delivered that adrenaline rush fans had been craving. Kazir personally watched the editing of this scene to ensure the people would love it. In fact, the whole production crew, Justin Lin included, even attended underground street racing to gain inspiration.

The chemistry between Paul Walker and Vin Diesel reignited the core that carried the franchise in its early days.

Critics may not have praised the story for its depth, but even they admitted the film had delivered its promise. The box office was the proof.

On April 3, 2009. Friday. The movie grossed $19 million.

On April 4, 2009. Saturday. The movie grossed another $23 million.

On April 5, 2009. Sunday. The movie grossed another $15 million.

In just three days, Fast and Furious 3 grossed $59 million. That itself was a testament to its performance. It meant that people liked the movie.

The last movie of the Fast & Furious franchise was 2 Fast 2 Furious, and that movie grossed $751 million at the worldwide box office back in 2004.

Now, people were wondering how much the third installment would make. Usually, the third part of the trilogy had the weakest performance since most people were not satisfied with the endings. But since Fast & Furious would probably have at least 10 movies, then the fans would be deeply happy.

Besides, even if Fast and Furious 3 only grossed $600 to $700 million, it was still a victory no matter what angle you look at it.

"As long as the movie makes money, it doesn't matter if the critics hate it. As long as Fast and Furious 3 surpassed $500 million, we already considered that a success. The series will continue to make money for us."

Kazir, sitting in his office, glanced at the data that showed the increase in numbers. These numbers increase signified money. Even the Cinema Alliance called him and congratulated him. Normally, Cinema Alliance had a closer relationship with the Big Six than other production studios that didn't have a distribution chain. But since Grey Pictures was a top-notch studio that helped Cinema Alliance make money, it was not wrong with them to befriend him.

By the way, Cinema Alliance was a group of companies that held the majority of cinemas in North America, particularly the U.S.A. and Canada. They controlled how many theaters a movie could be screened in. Their alliance was the reason why the Big Six couldn't bully them.

Kazir and the others from Grey Pictures couldn't help but be happy.

The success of Fast and Furious 3 was not just another win, it was validation. Despite the ending of a major CCU Arc, the fans were still desperate for more CCU movies.

He had taken a risk by pushing for a more grounded story in Fast and Furious 3, focusing on cars and brotherhood instead of over-the-top out-of-this-world stunts about bullets bending their trajectories and ninjas merging with the shadow. And the audience responded positively.

Merchandise sales, soundtrack downloads, and social media buzz all pointed to one thing. The Continental Cinematic Universe was still shining bright, like a diamond.

Kazir smiled, knowing that things were still on the right path. With the right balance of bravery, speed, heart, and family, the road ahead for the Fast & Furious series looked unstoppable.

"When I see you again..." Kazir couldn't help but hum the most famous soundtrack of Fast and Furious aside from Tokyo Drift.

"At this time, Charlie Puth is still probably a small-time YouTuber."

See You Again was the theme song for The Fate of the Furious(F8). Performed by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth, See You Again was a hit song. The song was also a tribute to Paul Walker.