'The Fate of the Furious' trailer gets the most viewed teaser in 24-hour accolade dethroning 'Beauty and the Beast'
Seven films out and a lifetime after, "The Fast and the Furious" franchise continue to tickle its fans' fancy with the first trailer of the "The Fate of the Furious" — its official title — as it made history being the most viewed teaser in a span of 24 hours.
The numbers come from a report by Deadline, which shares the good news for the decade-running franchise. "Fast 8" notched a whopping 139 million views in a span of a day after it was released last Sunday. This eclipsed the record set by Disney's live version adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast," which had 127 million views.
While there is no denying that the three-minute sneak peek of intense action involving car chases and stunts has caught the interest of people all around the globe, Universal's marketing ploy also plays a hand in the trailer's successful debut. The company rounded up cast members Vin Diesel (Dominic Toretto), Dwayne Johnson (Luke Hobbs), Tyrese Gibson (Roman Pearce), Chris "Ludacris" Bridges (Tej Parker), Michelle Rodriguez (Letty Ortiz), Nathalie Emmanuel (Ramsey) and director F. Gary Gray for a special launch at a Time Square event. The clip was then shown in 33 different billboards in the historic New York landmark while it simultaneously dropped online.
Based on what the teaser gave out in terms of story, it seems like the most impossible thing that could happen has gone down as Dom betrays his "family" to team up with notorious criminal Cipher, played by Charlize Theron. The franchise capitalizes on the unbreakable bond of the squad that is most often propagated by their team leader, but now that the tables have turned, it is Hobbs' task to help the rest dive into the mystery.
In a personal Facebook video, lore stalwart Diesel explained that somehow, this type of story cannot be prevented despite it going directly against the theme that they have been promoting for years. "I can't tell you how hard it was to make that movie," he admitted. "We've been talking about family for so many pictures. It was inevitable that there would be a chapter that would challenge that concept of family. The dark place that Dom goes though ... well, you'll just have to see the movie. I guess it all makes sense when you see the film."
The premise, however, is a bit reminiscent of the arc from "Fast 5," only that it was Letty who turned her back on the squad. As it turns out, she suffered amnesia and has been manipulated to go up against her own people.
"The Fate of the Furious" arrives in cinemas on April 14.