A closer look
Universal Studios initially planned to release Tokyo Drift straight to DVD, completely unaware it would spawn a billion-dollar soap opera with cars. Test audiences hated the original cut, prompting the studio to beg Vin Diesel for a cameo in exchange for the rights to the Riddick franchise. Thus, a multi-billion dollar cinematic universe obsessed with family and defying the laws of physics was saved by a guy who just wanted to play in space. It is comforting to know that one of the most profitable movie franchises in history only exists because executives were desperate to salvage a street-racing movie without its main stars, accidentally creating a money-printing machine that refuses to end no matter how absurd the stunts get
