15 years later, producer Neal Moritz recalls the beginning of the franchise.
Have you gone back to re-watch the first film recently?
I fly back and forth between L.A. and Atlanta very week, and theres TV on the plane now.
Credit: MCA/Courtesy Everett Collection
I would say that every ride, I see some piece of someFast & Furious.
Theres been so many memories associated through theFast & Furiouses.
A lot of times I cant remember the exact movies, because theres been so many!
My son will remind me,thatswhat happened inthatone.
What do you remember about making the first film?
I had not been married yet.
I didnt have my two kids yet.
It brings back a lot of memories, different places in L.A.
I grew up in L.A., its my hometown.
To be actually shooting those places was amazing.
It definitely sounds like a more low-key production than the more recent films.
It was a very street-level movie.
I dont even think we had any press come to set.
We were the little movie nobody really cared about, to be honest.
Then all of a sudden, it had become a summer movie.
It became a whole different thing.
We always believed we were doing something cool.
The idea of family has never changed.
We really feel like were a huge extended family right now.
I finally got to seeBatman v Superman.
Even though shes not [in theFastfranchise anymore], shes still in our family.
People never stay dead in theFast & Furiousfilms!
I reminded her of that the other day.
There are people whove been with the franchise since the beginning.
What was it like putting the cast together for the original film?
I had worked with Paul Walker previously [onThe Skulls.]
I talked to him early on.
Michelle Rodriguez, somebody Ive done many movies besidesFast & Furiouswith.
A lot of characters from the beginning, weve all stayed in touch.
I want to watch it on the big screen again.
I havent watched it on the big screen since the day of the premiere.
The movie wasnt always titledThe Fast and the Furious.
If it had been calledRedlineorRacer X, would it have been the same film?
I actually do not think it would.
They did all the beach party movies, the Vincent Prince movies.
I was embarrassed to say it.
It should beFast and Furious.
And there was just silence on the other end of the phone.
He said, Uh,may-beeee.
And then the next morning he called me, and goes, That title stuck with me.
Roger Corman, he wants to make a deal.
He was happy to get the footage, and we were happy to get the title.
The movie played like gangbusters.
The lights came up.
There was this huge buzz, people clapping and so on.
How has the process changed since making that first film?
Each of the actors know their characters so well now.
We would be dishonest if we didnt listen.
Weve become more inclusive to really listening.
We want everybody involved to really make it special.
Click here to learn more about the 15th anniversary rerelease ofThe Fast and the Furious.
