“Fate of the Furious” is officially the eighth “Fast & Furious” movie — but there’s probably at least one film in the canon that many fans have never seen before. That would be “Los Bandoleros.” The 20-minute short film was written and directed by franchise star and producer Vin Diesel, and it adds a bit of key context to the series by introducing characters and bridging the gap between the events of “The Fast and the Furious” and “Fast & Furious,” the fourth movie in the franchise. Before “Fast & Furious,” the franchise continuity was kind of a mess. Diesel exited...
- 4/13/2017
- by Phil Hornshaw
- The Wrap
Did you know there are nine Fast and Furious movies? Yes, the latest is titled Furious 7, so we can see where that might be confusing, but in addition to the theatrical features there are two shorts. One of them is titled Turbo-Charged Prelude and bridges the first and second movies. The other is Los Bandoleros, which is set just before the events of the fourth movie, Fast & Furious. Chronologically, though, it's sort of a bridge between the first movie and the fourth. Are you still with me? The 18-minute film (which is also sometimes labeled Fast & Furious 3.5: Los Bandoleros and has been previously available as a bonus feature on the Fast & Furious DVD) brings together the new crew of Dom (Vin Diesel), Han (Sung Kang), Rico (Don Omar), Cara...
Read More...
Read More...
- 4/8/2015
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
With the $384 million worldwide weekend gross of Furious 7 the Fast franchise shows no signs of slowing down, as its muscle-car-centric mythos only continues to accelerate. In fact, contrary to assumed opinions, the series has spun itself a rather interesting canonical web. This idea was ever-apparent with some particularly revelatory scenes in Furious 7 regarding backstories of Vin Diesel.s Dom and Michelle Rodriguez.s Letty. Now, a short film made by Vin Diesel himself, years ago, has become the perfect complementary viewing for much of the surprises from this past weekend's blockbuster hit. Warning: Spoiler material ahead for those who have yet to see Furious 7! Titled, Los Bandoleros ("The Bandits"), the 18-minute short film written and directed by Vin Diesel was made in 2009 to serve as a prequel of sorts to the events leading up to his return to the franchise in 2009.s Fast & Furious. While Vin Diesel...
- 4/6/2015
- cinemablend.com
The Fast and Furious franchise can, at times, be confusing. The first movie, The Fast and the Furious, centers around Dominic Toretto and his family of fast-driving, big-hearted criminals. 2 Fast 2 Furious puts Dom completely out of the picture and follows good-cop-gone-bad-gone-good-again Brian O’Conner down to Miami, where he meets up with an old friend and has absolutely no interaction with anyone from the first film — except for one of his cop bosses. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift then pulls fans even farther away from the people they’ve come to know and love. So when the fourth film in the franchise,...
- 6/3/2013
- by Samantha Highfill
- EW.com - PopWatch
Here's a short written and directed by Vin Diesel and entirely shot in the Dominican Republic, which I came across and saw for the first time this weekend. The 20-minute long Los Bandoleros (The Bandits) was showcased on the Blu-Ray and DVD release of the 2009 fourth installment of the mega hit series titled Fast & Furious. The short was presented as a prelude to the 4th film, and tells the back story to the events leading to the the truck heist in the 2009 film. It stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tego Calderon, Don Omar and Sung Kang. And although Vin Diesel is in character as "Dom Toretto," I was surprised that there weren't any car chases, grand explosions, or bodies being...
- 5/28/2013
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of all-stars as the global blockbuster franchise built on speed races to its next continent in Fast & Furious 6. Reuniting for their most high-stakes adventure yet, fan favorites Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Sung Kang, John Ortiz, Gal Gadot and Elsa Pataky are joined by badass series newcomers Luke Evans and Gina Carano.
Since Dom (Diesel) and Brian’s (Walker) Rio heist toppled a kingpin’s empire and left their crew with $100 million, our heroes have scattered across the globe. But their inability to return home and living forever on the lam have left their lives incomplete.
Meanwhile, Hobbs (Johnson) has been tracking an organization of lethally skilled mercenary drivers across 12 countries, whose mastermind (Evans) is aided by a ruthless second-in-command revealed to be the love Dom thought was dead, Letty (Rodriguez). The only way to...
Since Dom (Diesel) and Brian’s (Walker) Rio heist toppled a kingpin’s empire and left their crew with $100 million, our heroes have scattered across the globe. But their inability to return home and living forever on the lam have left their lives incomplete.
Meanwhile, Hobbs (Johnson) has been tracking an organization of lethally skilled mercenary drivers across 12 countries, whose mastermind (Evans) is aided by a ruthless second-in-command revealed to be the love Dom thought was dead, Letty (Rodriguez). The only way to...
- 5/10/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A familiar face is returning to the world of hot cars and hotter women.
Michelle Rodriguez is set to reprise her role as Letty, the estranged (and, until now, missing) girlfriend of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), in a movie that we like to refer to as "Fast Six," according to The Playlist.
Rodriguez first played Letty in the original 2001 film, "The Fast and the Furious," and reprised the role in the fourth film in the franchise, "Fast & Furious." She also appeared played the part in the short film, "Los Bandoleros," which served as a prelude to "Fast & Furious."
News of Letty's presence in "Fast Six" should come as no surprise to those who caught the bonus scene after the closing credits of last summer's "Fast Five," which hinted (okay, really hinted) at the return of Dom's ex-girlfriend. Early evidence seems to point to her playing an antagonistic kind of role in the new film,...
Michelle Rodriguez is set to reprise her role as Letty, the estranged (and, until now, missing) girlfriend of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), in a movie that we like to refer to as "Fast Six," according to The Playlist.
Rodriguez first played Letty in the original 2001 film, "The Fast and the Furious," and reprised the role in the fourth film in the franchise, "Fast & Furious." She also appeared played the part in the short film, "Los Bandoleros," which served as a prelude to "Fast & Furious."
News of Letty's presence in "Fast Six" should come as no surprise to those who caught the bonus scene after the closing credits of last summer's "Fast Five," which hinted (okay, really hinted) at the return of Dom's ex-girlfriend. Early evidence seems to point to her playing an antagonistic kind of role in the new film,...
- 5/2/2012
- by Bryan Enk
- NextMovie
Looks like "Fast & Furious 6" is getting fuel injected with some kick-ass estrosgen. With Gina Carano joining the pic last week and Rihanna being rumored to play the villain (while reps stay noticeably mum, though not denying anything), a familiar female face is returning to the gearhead series.
Michelle Rodriguez will return as Letty in the upcoming film, marking her fourth time in the series following "The Fast & The Furious" and the short "Los Bandoleros" which preceeded her turn in "Fast & Furious." While plot details on the Euro centered sequel are being kept tight, it seems it will be drawing back to some degree to the previous films. Meanwhile, as expected, Rodriguez will also reprise her role of Luz in "Machete Kills," making it a sequel summer for the actress who will be pumping out pulpy followups with wildly different budgets.
Noted in Variety's report, it appears that Mel Gibson, who joined last week,...
Michelle Rodriguez will return as Letty in the upcoming film, marking her fourth time in the series following "The Fast & The Furious" and the short "Los Bandoleros" which preceeded her turn in "Fast & Furious." While plot details on the Euro centered sequel are being kept tight, it seems it will be drawing back to some degree to the previous films. Meanwhile, as expected, Rodriguez will also reprise her role of Luz in "Machete Kills," making it a sequel summer for the actress who will be pumping out pulpy followups with wildly different budgets.
Noted in Variety's report, it appears that Mel Gibson, who joined last week,...
- 5/1/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
A couple of weeks ago, we brought you a new photo of Vin Diesel as Richard B. Riddick in some Necro-style armor and goggles on the set of director David Twohy‘s forthcoming installment in the Riddick franchise.
Now, not only do we have a new image of Riddick during production, we also have a full press release announcing the start of production that includes a full synopsis for the film and details on the now fleshed out cast. Check it all out below!
Press Release:
Universal Pictures And One Race Films Begin Principal Photography On The Sci-fi Thriller Riddick, Starring Vin Diesel Long-Awaited Third Chapter in the Saga Starts Production in Montreal
Montreal, Feb. 3, 2012 – Universal Pictures, One Race Films and Radar Pictures announced today that principal photography has begun on the action-driven, sci-fi thriller Riddick. The shoot will take place in Montreal.
The latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga...
Now, not only do we have a new image of Riddick during production, we also have a full press release announcing the start of production that includes a full synopsis for the film and details on the now fleshed out cast. Check it all out below!
Press Release:
Universal Pictures And One Race Films Begin Principal Photography On The Sci-fi Thriller Riddick, Starring Vin Diesel Long-Awaited Third Chapter in the Saga Starts Production in Montreal
Montreal, Feb. 3, 2012 – Universal Pictures, One Race Films and Radar Pictures announced today that principal photography has begun on the action-driven, sci-fi thriller Riddick. The shoot will take place in Montreal.
The latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga...
- 2/6/2012
- by Jason Moore
- ScifiMafia
Universal Pictures, One Race Films and Radar Pictures announced today that principal photography has begun on the action-driven, sci-fi thriller Riddick. The shoot will take place in Montreal.
The latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga that began with 2000′s hit sci-fi film Pitch Black and 2004′s The Chronicles of Riddick reunites writer/director David Twohy (A Perfect Getaway, The Fugitive) and star Vin Diesel (the Fast and Furious franchise, xXx). Diesel reprises his role as the antihero Riddick, a dangerous, escaped convict wanted by every bounty hunter in the known galaxy.
The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he’s encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty.
The latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga that began with 2000′s hit sci-fi film Pitch Black and 2004′s The Chronicles of Riddick reunites writer/director David Twohy (A Perfect Getaway, The Fugitive) and star Vin Diesel (the Fast and Furious franchise, xXx). Diesel reprises his role as the antihero Riddick, a dangerous, escaped convict wanted by every bounty hunter in the known galaxy.
The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he’s encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty.
- 2/3/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Universal Pictures has officially announced that principal photography has begun on Riddick. Included in the press release is an updated plot synopsis and confirmation of the main cast:
Montreal, Feb. 3, 2012: Universal Pictures, One Race Films and Radar Pictures announced today that principal photography has begun on the action-driven, sci-fi thriller Riddick. The shoot will take place in Montreal.
The latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga that began with 2000′s hit sci-fi film Pitch Black and 2004′s The Chronicles of Riddick reunites writer/director David Twohy (A Perfect Getaway, The Fugitive) and star Vin Diesel (the Fast and Furious franchise, xXx). Diesel reprises his role as the antihero Riddick, a dangerous, escaped convict wanted by every bounty hunter in the known galaxy.
The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators...
Montreal, Feb. 3, 2012: Universal Pictures, One Race Films and Radar Pictures announced today that principal photography has begun on the action-driven, sci-fi thriller Riddick. The shoot will take place in Montreal.
The latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga that began with 2000′s hit sci-fi film Pitch Black and 2004′s The Chronicles of Riddick reunites writer/director David Twohy (A Perfect Getaway, The Fugitive) and star Vin Diesel (the Fast and Furious franchise, xXx). Diesel reprises his role as the antihero Riddick, a dangerous, escaped convict wanted by every bounty hunter in the known galaxy.
The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators...
- 2/3/2012
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Los Angeles, CA – May 19, 2011 . MGM announced today that Vin Diesel will star in and also produce through his One Race Films, the action-comedy The Machine, based on an original script by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant (Night At The Museum, Night At The Museum: Battle For The Smithsonian, The Pacifier), who are also producing. Production is scheduled to start in the fall.
Vin Diesel stars as a human-like machine created in secrecy by the Pentagon as the world’s first true ultimate weapon. Twenty years after the project was buried and decommissioned for reasons unknown, The Machine is discovered by a kid who befriends him. When the government learns it has been reactivated, the Machine must protect the family harboring him.
MGM’s Jonathan Glickman, President of the Motion Picture Group, says “We could not be happier to be partnering with Vin again, especially on a film with...
Vin Diesel stars as a human-like machine created in secrecy by the Pentagon as the world’s first true ultimate weapon. Twenty years after the project was buried and decommissioned for reasons unknown, The Machine is discovered by a kid who befriends him. When the government learns it has been reactivated, the Machine must protect the family harboring him.
MGM’s Jonathan Glickman, President of the Motion Picture Group, says “We could not be happier to be partnering with Vin again, especially on a film with...
- 5/20/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Vin Diesel has filmed a love story about his adopted Dominican Republic for the DVD release of his new blockbuster hit Fast Five.
The actor's 20-minute The Fast & The Furious prequel was shot in the Dominican Republic and features many of the friends he has made there since his first trip in 1995.
The film, called Los Bandoleros, features Latino reggaeton heroes Don Omar and Tego Calderone, who appear in Fast Five.
Diesel is also hoping to give the bouncer friend who introduced him to the delights of the Dominican Republic a big career boost in a new series of Internet dramas, titled The Ropes.
Valentino Morales, who appears in most of his friend's films, will star in the webisodes, which recount the pair's days as nightclub security men in New York.
Diesel has written and will direct each segment.
The actor's 20-minute The Fast & The Furious prequel was shot in the Dominican Republic and features many of the friends he has made there since his first trip in 1995.
The film, called Los Bandoleros, features Latino reggaeton heroes Don Omar and Tego Calderone, who appear in Fast Five.
Diesel is also hoping to give the bouncer friend who introduced him to the delights of the Dominican Republic a big career boost in a new series of Internet dramas, titled The Ropes.
Valentino Morales, who appears in most of his friend's films, will star in the webisodes, which recount the pair's days as nightclub security men in New York.
Diesel has written and will direct each segment.
- 5/16/2011
- WENN
With a slate of midnight screenings planned in some cities, we’re less than twenty-four hours from the American debut of “Fast Five.” And as the starting pistol is readied, we’re in the final stretch as we cover the fourth movie in the franchise: “Fast & Furious.”
After two sequels and eight years, “The Fast and the Furious” franchise went from the West Coast to the East Coast – and then onto the Pacific Rim – but it was now time to come back home. This fourth film, simply titled “Fast & Furious,” saw the first full-scale reunion of the original cast since the original in 2001: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Although the previous two films carried on the franchise, this fourth outing was the first real sequel to the story the street gang set up in the first place.
The "Furious" Rundown
In this stripped-down muscle car of a movie,...
After two sequels and eight years, “The Fast and the Furious” franchise went from the West Coast to the East Coast – and then onto the Pacific Rim – but it was now time to come back home. This fourth film, simply titled “Fast & Furious,” saw the first full-scale reunion of the original cast since the original in 2001: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Although the previous two films carried on the franchise, this fourth outing was the first real sequel to the story the street gang set up in the first place.
The "Furious" Rundown
In this stripped-down muscle car of a movie,...
- 4/28/2011
- by Chris Arrant
- MTV Movies Blog
Subject: Vin Diesel, 43-year old American actor, director, and producer
Date of Assessment: April 27, 2011
Positive Buzzwords: Franchise, franchise, franchise
Negative Buzzwords: Lack of range, directing, writing
The Case: It's hard to hate on someone who's made quite a lot of use out of very limited talent, and damn if Vin Diesel hasn't done just that in a very roundabout way. Back in 1994, Mark Vincent began his career as a writer and director of a short film called Multi-Facial (sadly, not a porn flick), in which he also starred. The short, which was a semi-autobiographical take on the life of a multi-racial actor, screened for the Cannes Film Festival but failed to make an impact with critics, distributors, or anywhere of even trivial importance. A few years later, Vincent made another lackluster attempt at cinematic triple duty with the feature-length Strays. At that point, someone in his life wisely encouraged him to just stick with acting,...
Date of Assessment: April 27, 2011
Positive Buzzwords: Franchise, franchise, franchise
Negative Buzzwords: Lack of range, directing, writing
The Case: It's hard to hate on someone who's made quite a lot of use out of very limited talent, and damn if Vin Diesel hasn't done just that in a very roundabout way. Back in 1994, Mark Vincent began his career as a writer and director of a short film called Multi-Facial (sadly, not a porn flick), in which he also starred. The short, which was a semi-autobiographical take on the life of a multi-racial actor, screened for the Cannes Film Festival but failed to make an impact with critics, distributors, or anywhere of even trivial importance. A few years later, Vincent made another lackluster attempt at cinematic triple duty with the feature-length Strays. At that point, someone in his life wisely encouraged him to just stick with acting,...
- 4/27/2011
- by Agent Bedhead
He may not have been in as many movies as other big name actors but Vin Diesel is still one of the biggest superstars in the world and one of the few action stars we've got left in this town. With him and Dwayne Johnson on set together, in the same film together, beating the crap out of each other, it's something action fans are going to enjoy seeing. We had a chance to sit and talk to Vin (sorry, we talked to Dom. He was still in character.) for a few minutes about Fast Five and what he puts into each one of his projects. Vin also talks about his avoidance of Twitter, how story is the most important thing for him in a film, what he got paid for his cameo in Tokyo Drift, how Fast Five is the 2nd film in a trilogy, where they'll go for the sixth film and more.
- 1/29/2011
- LRMonline.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.