The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 action film directed by Rob Cohen from a screenplay by Gary Scott Thompson, David Ayer, and Erik Bergquist, from a story by Thompson. It is the first installment in the Fast & Furious franchise, and stars Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto and Paul Walker as Brian O’Conner, with Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster in supporting roles. In the film, a recent spate of automobile hijackings causes O’Conner, a police officer, to go undercover and befriend Toretto, a local street racer, to investigate the matter. The Fast and the Furious entered development in late 1998, after Cohen and producer Neal H. Moritz read a Vibe article about illegal street racing in New York City.
Thompson and Bergquist wrote the original screenplay that year, with Ayer hired soon after. Various actors were considered for the roles of O’Conner and Toretto, with Walker cast in 1998 and then Diesel in early 1999, with the pair attending actual street races in preperation for the film.Principal photography commenced in July 2000 and finished that October, with filming locations primarily including Los Angeles and the surrounding area in southern California.
The film’s title is borrowed from Roger Corman’s 1954 film of the same name.
The Fast and the Furious was originally set to be released worldwide in March 2001, but was postponed until the summer. It premiered at Mann Village Theatre in Los Angeles on June 18, 2001, and was theatrically released in the United States by Universal Pictures on June 22.
The film received average reviews from critics, with criticism for its screenplay and characterization, but praise for the action sequences and Walker and Diesel’s performances, with the film considered their breakthrough roles. The Fast and the Furious was a commercial success, grossing $207 million worldwide, making it the 19th highest-grossing film of 2001. It was followed by the sequel film 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003).