GR Supra

Make
Toyota
Segment
Coupe

When CarBuzz first heard rumors that Los Angeles residents were planning on protesting the new Fast & Furious movie, we thought it was a good idea. We would have happily joined a protest keeping the next film from being made because F9 was mortifying to human eyeballs.

Instead, residents have been protesting the movie because it's allegedly responsible for illegal activities, including burnouts, donuts, drag racing, and generally just being an idiot behind the wheel of a car.

The residents of Angelino Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, are currently experiencing the worst of it and are planning a protest at an intersection where filming is set to take place on Friday, 26 August.

Apparently, street takeovers are a regular occurrence in the Angelino Heights area. Street racers are drawn to the area due to the suburb's prominent role in the first Fast & Furious movie. The first movie was and remains an iconic car movie, which is likely why Angelino Heights is still a magnet for car-based hooliganism over the past 21 years. The movie also made the A80 Toyota Supra desirable, while the GR Supra debuted in the ninth installment.

The residents have had enough, however. According to a report filed by CBS Los Angeles, the noise and air pollution resulting from street takeovers keep people up until the early mornings.

The owner of Bob's Market, which is also featured in the first movie, appears to be the only happy resident. According to John Hong, he's embraced the filming of the movies. It lures people to his store, where he sells F&F merchandise.

Damian Kevitt, the spokesperson for a non-profit called The Streets Are For Everyone, is not pleased. "How do you compensate a neighbor for the misery that will happen for years and years?" Kevitt has more reason than most to be displeased, as he lost a leg in a car accident a few years ago.

The residents closest to the filming location are being compensated for the inconvenience, though the exact figure has not been disclosed.

Variety obtained an e-mail from the Los Angeles City Council. "If this film shoot is allowed to go forward in Angelino Heights, or any part of it from F10 Productions (Universal), we will stage a protest and will invite many reporters and news cameras to film us protesting this film shoot all day and night," it read.

The letter continues to call out Universal Studios for the alleged role it plays in deadly street racing. "We will hold this protest to honor the 178 people who have been killed by street racers in Los Angeles, and to shame Universal for their callous disregard for this deadly epidemic of street racing their films started and continue to promote."

The residents don't appear to be bothered by the filming of the current movie. It is LA, after all. You can hurl a brick in any direction and put several movie celebrities in a coma. The main gripe is these movies' lasting effect on the car culture and safety. From the franchise's side, it has done a lot to dissuade people from partaking in illegal street racing. Sung Kang (Han) is well known for publicly speaking against this dangerous hobby.

Fast 10 and Fast 11 are being filmed back-to-back this year. The first installment will be released on April 7, 2023. We can't wait to not watch it.