The summer movie season is filled each year with blockbusters: big-budget action flicks, comedies with the highest-priced stars, and substantial sequels. But each summer, one movie sneaks through to be a midsize sleeper hit that defies expectations despite big league competition. This summer, early search traffic is telling us that movie will be The Fast and The Furious.
The Fast and The Furious doesn't come out until June 22, but its adreneline-pumping trailer is already getting a lot of attention. The plot concerns a rookie cop who goes undercover in the world of street gangs who race souped-up cars in drag races. There's a truck hijacking subplot as well as a Romeo-and-Juliet style love story about lovers from opposing gangs. Good-looking young people kiss, and lots of things blow up. People drive around very fast.
The film stars rising young star Vin Diesel, who also appeared in Pitch Black and Boiler Room. He plays one of the gang leaders. Paul Walker, who was a supporting player in Varsity Blues and The Skulls, gets his first starring role as the undercover cop. Walker's searches have doubled over the last few weeks as interest in the movie grows.
The Fast and The Furious is being released during a very crowded summer movie season. Surely we aren't expecting it to reach the heights scaled by blockbusters like Jurassic Park III, Tomb Raider, and the Planet of the Apes remake, all of which are currently generating more searches.
But look at searches for The Fast and The Furious compared to the other movies that are opening in May, one month earlier. Last week The Fast and The Furious got more searches than the heavily-advertised A Knight's Tale, which opens May 11. It got more searches than the animated Shrek, which opens May 18. And it got six times as many searches as the Jennifer Lopez-starring drama Angel Eyes, also opening May 18.
The early interest online and the popularity of racing movies (Driven being #1 at the box office right now) are both very positive signs for The Fast and The Furious. It should be the sleeper midsize hit of the summer and may establish Vin Diesel and Paul Walker as action stars for the next generation.
TOMORROW: Under the (warmer) weather.
