Hollywood movie stars Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez released a short video clip after the first day’s filming was completed. Both celebrated the long-lived franchise, now in its ninth instalment. Thai locals are understood to be working with the film crew on a plantation in the southern Thai province while the arrival of the Fast and Furious cars last week was an online sensation in Thailand. Fast and Furious is one of Hollywoods’ biggest film franchises with income generated so far in excess of $5 billion.
Filming began this week on the latest mega-movie to be shot in Thailand. Fast and Furious 9 starring Vin Diesel, Michaele Rodriquez and Thai star Tony Jaa, began filming operations on a plantation in Krabi this Monday. The filming of the movie in 3 southern provinces will see ฿340 million injected into the local economy. The biggest benefit to the area and to Thailand will be when the huge movie is released in May 2020 and showcases Thailand as a beautiful, exotic and exciting destination to visit.
Filming for the Fast and Furious movie began this week in Thailand in the southern province of Krabi. It is reported that initially, the location in Thailand will not feature the big stars of the movie but stunt doubles and support actors. However, lead stars Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriquez released a video clip after finishing the first day but is not known if that location was the one in Thailand.
Fast and Furious 9 is worth ฿340 million to the local economy in three southern provinces
The filming of the huge Hollywood franchise in Thailand is a part of the production plan for the release of Fast and Furious 9 in May 2020. The filming in three key southern provinces will involve an injection of ฿340 million directly into the local economy in addition to the huge coverage and profile the release of the movie will give Thailand from 2020 on the world entertainment stage.
The movie will help boost further awareness of Thailand as a tourist destination
The success of The Beach starring a youthful Leonardo Dicaprio in the same region of the country catapulted Thailand to the top of the list in ‘must-see’ world destinations nearly twenty years ago and is still inspiring tourists, especially young millennials, to visit Thailand. It is anticipated that this new movie release will help further boost awareness of Thailand and reinforce its appeal as an exotic location for tourists from all over the world. The filming is understood this week to be taking place at a palm plantation in the Khao Thong area of Krabi.
Fast and Furious stars release a video after the first day filming Fast and Furious 9
On Monday, Vin Diesel, who plays Fast and Furious character Dom Toretto and Michelle Rodriguez who plays Letty filmed a personal video which they released on Instagram, the social media site, to celebrate a wrap on their first day’s filming. ‘Nine. Nine,’ says Letty or Michelle as Vin Diesel responded, ‘Can you believe it?’ He went on to say how grateful that stars were for the great crew and cast in the new movie, to Universal Studios and to the world’s public who had ‘adopted’ the movie franchise.
When filming finishes this week at the plantation, the movie filming operation will move on to other locations in Krabi and later others on Phang Nga, Surat Thani and Phuket.
Governor, Tourism chief and police officials in Krabi meeting the film’s production manager
The production manager for the film in Thailand, Piya Pestonji, met with the Governor of Krabi, police officials and the head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand in Krabi last week to finalise details for the filming which will run-up to the end of July. The locations for the filming shoots are strictly secured and local people are asked to stay away or not to intrude as it may compromise the filming activities. Some locals, this week, already have found employment with the filming team preparing the scenery.
Public urged to give the film team space
Last Wednesday, Apichai Aranyig, the Tourism Authority of Thailand chief in Krabi, told the media that eight locations were being targeted by the film production operations. Five were in Krabi, one was in Phang Nga and two were in Surat Thani. The tourism boss said the exact location of the filming was a matter for the production company and should remain private.
He asked the Thai public to respect the privacy of the film’s producers, crew and actors. ‘Please be good hosts and help make their visit a pleasant one. We must not disturb their work here,’ he said.
The arrival of the Fast and Furious cars at the end of June caused an online sensation in Thailand. It is understood that some local Thai firms in Krabi are being used to supply car parts and assist with maintenance of the cars.
One of Hollywood’s biggest film franchises
Fast and Furious is one of the most successful Hollywood franchises of all time, having already raked in ฿5 billion in income since its inception in 2001. The franchise is the subject of Universal Studios theme parks and a huge range of spin-off revenue streams. The movies tend to touch on criminality, espionage and of course, intense action in the form of fast and quite dangerous motor car activities. Vin Diesel and Michel Rodriguez have been with the film series from its start in 2001.
Thai star became part of the team after the shock death in 2013 of Paul Walker in California
In 2013, disaster struck before the filming of Fast and Furious 7 was completed. The death of Fast and Furious lead actor Paul Walker, who played the character Brian O’Conner shocked Hollywood and the film world when it occurred in California. It was a freak car accident for which damages were later paid. The role of Paul Walker was subsequently taken over by Thai star Tony Jaa who made his first appearance in Fast and Furious 7.
Reminiscent of ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’ from 1974 when James Bond came to Thailand
The same area in Southern Thailand was featured in the 1974 James Bond movie ‘The Man with the Golden Gun‘ staring Roger Moore. In May 2020, when the new movie is released, the beautiful scenery of southern Thailand from Krabi to Phang Nga and Surat Thani will be seen in the context of a thrilling, highly charged action movie with a Thai star playing a leading role.
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