Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

Universal is huddling on a spinoff that will focus on the characters originated by Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham and most recently seen in The Fate of the Furious, sources said. The franchise architects have said they might broaden the universe with spinoffs, and source said this is the one they are pursuing.

This is in early stages, but they’ve met on the concept, which sources said will be scripted by Chris Morgan, the chief writer of the series that is hitting new heights with the eighth installment. The idea is for Johnson’s U.S. Diplomatic Security Agent Luke Hobbs to form an unlikely alliance with Statham’s Decker Shaw for a movie that conceivably could be made while they are figuring the next Fast film.

Johnson stepped into the franchise in Fast Five, and Statham established his in Fast & Furious 6. Each began as an antagonist to the core street-racing family but grudgingly earned their way into the circle of trust.

There’s not much more to say right now; Morgan hasn’t begun writing, but they are talking. Johnson and Statham certainly showed good chemistry in the new film, which going into its second weekend has grossed $685 million worldwide. The two-hander spinoff seems a clever way to extend a franchise, which has shown little signs of running out of gas.