Icons Unearthed : Fast & Furious

This billion-dollar blockbuster franchise begins with a magazine article about a New York city street racer that inspires Universal to make a movie about the underground world of illegal street racing. The simple formula of Romeo and Juliet meets Point Break with cars becomes the little movie that could, defying all expectations.

With Paul Walker originally locked into a two-picture deal, a sequel is imminent after the success of The Fast and the Furious. However, after Vin Diesel and director Rob Cohen decline to come back, legendary director John Singleton and rising star, Tyrese Gibson, have huge shoes to fill in a movie that pushes the boundaries of danger both on screen and off.

The third Fast and Furious movie, Tokyo Drift, is a make-or-break moment for Universal. After the mediocre reception of 2 Fast 2 Furious, Universal risks it all on a brand-new creative team, a younger cast, and a new kind of racing. After a near disaster, Universal makes an unlikely deal and doubles down on a fourth movie to save the franchise.

Universal breaks the mold in Fast Five, reinventing the genre - four movies in - with a heist picture. With bigger and better stunts, international locations and one of Hollywood's biggest stars as their newest antagonist, would the franchise's new direction pay off?

With the whole cast back for a 6th and 7th movie and even more ambitious stunts, it seems as if there was no way they could fail. But halfway through filming Furious 7, the ultimate tragedy takes place. Can the family pull together to give their brother one last ride?

The tragic death of Paul Walker creates uncertainty for the future of the franchise. After deciding to move forward with the franchise, Universal is locked in a game of escalating spectacle. But even as the films continue to pull in billions, a feud between two cast members would cost them another star.