Fast and Furious star Jordana Brewster has said that is she constantly impressed at how bonkers the long-running action franchise can get in its bid to surpass itself - including making its maiden space voyage in the latest instalment.
Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment, Brewster, who returns for her sixth outing as Mia Toretto in F9: The Fast Saga, said "I feel like we push the envelope and we do push boundaries and I think it's important to do so because we are on the ninth one. People are always asking how are we going to surpass the last one and how are you going to push it further?
"When I first read the script for this one, I thought, `Wow, how are they going to do that tonally and how is it going to go with the film?' But I think Justin did a fantastic job because it’s Tyrese and Ludacris going to space and because of the circumstances it was handled perfectly."
The movie, which is in cinemas this Thursday, also sees Vin Diesel return as Dom along with regular cast members Ludacris, Cherlize Theron and Michelle Rodriguez, plus a cameo from Helen Mirren as a lady thief.
In the new instalment, the team of super spies are in a race against time to prevent a secret weapon falling into the hands of a billionaire criminal mastermind and the new outing also sees a figure return from Dom’s past.
It really rachets up the Shakespear 101 levels of intrigue. There's patricide, family vendettas and someone even comes back from the dead, making this one franchise that is unapologetic in its status as an octane-charged, high gloss soap opera.
Click here for our review of F9: The Fast Saga
"It is, this one less so than past ones but what I really like about this one was the chance to delve into our history and why Dom’s been carrying this massive burden and why we chose the lifestyle we did," Jordana says.
"It’s gratifying for the fans and also me as an actress because I didn’t know so much about our history as I do now. So, moving forward it will allow me to prepare a lot better for Mia in 10 and 11."
She added, "But it is very Shakespearean with the two brothers going head to head and Mia has to hold back the tension between them. It’s fun!"
Diesel recently suggested that the FF franchise will finally end in a two-part film in the next few years, but it seems that this a franchise that will never die.
"I don’t know! It really is up to Vin and Universal studios and Justin, but I certainly hope selfishly that it doesn’t die," Jordana says. "I love being a part of them. I get to travel the world making them and I have as much fun promoting them as I do making them but we’ll see.
"I really think it’s up to the fans and their response. I think we’ve shown we can update and be innovative every time, so we’ll see."
Alan Corr @CorrAlan2
Fast and Furious 9 is in cinemas this Thursday, June 24
