Inside The 10-year Journey To Create 'fast & Furious,' Universal's Most Intense Coaster Ever

When Jon Corfino was among nan first to trial thrust Universal Studios Hollywood’s caller high-speed “Fast & Furious”-inspired coaster, it was nan culmination of a convoluted decade-plus travel filled pinch uncertainty. For earlier immoderate way was laid, earlier nan thrust was moreover associated pinch “Fast & Furious” aliases immoderate movie franchise, Corfino, nan park’s lead imaginative executive, didn’t cognize whether a coaster could moreover exist.

Universal Studios Hollywood is landlocked, constructed astir a moving movie studio, meaning abstraction is astatine a premium. And past there’s nan problem of noise. Coasters, historically, are loud, and movie productions necessitate a quiet environment. The taxable parkland is besides nestled against a vicinity afloat of homes and apartments.

To make it activity astatine all, nan coaster would request to guidelines connected a comparatively steep hill, winding over, nether and astir escalators betwixt nan park’s precocious and little lot. It extends importantly beyond guest-accessible areas, visible moreover from adjacent Ventura Boulevard. “It wouldn’t beryllium your first choice,” Corfino says of nan topography. “But successful a way, it makes it much move that we were capable to do it.”

He continues, “Everything we do is simply a spot of invention.”

When chat connected nan task first began a decade aliases truthful ago, Universal Studios Hollywood was acold from a thrills park. While nan Wizarding World of Harry Potter was nearing completion and would unfastened successful 2016 — a full-scale re-creation of a fictional world that would change nan tenor of nan parkland — nan immense mostly of Universal rides were designed to spot guests wrong nan world of stories they had already seen connected nan screen. Or to fto them “ride nan movies,” arsenic Steven Spielberg erstwhile coined. The park’s portfolio was besides dotted pinch stunt and animal shows.

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift will scope speeds of 72 mph and return riders done aggregate inversions.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Universal was erstwhile heavy dedicated to pulling nan curtain backmost connected really movies were made. A coaster simply didn’t fresh nan vibe.

“It was ne'er a thought,” Corfino says of his earliest days astatine Universal backmost successful nan 1990s. “It was a different ethos. We were going to return you down nan scenes and show you stuff. But during nan epic translator of bringing successful ‘Potter,’ and immersing you successful different environments, it became much of a reality.”

And truthful began nan process of looking for a franchise to subordinate pinch nan coaster, 1 that would still make consciousness pinch Universal’s inside-the-movies mindset. At nan time, location already was a “Fast & Furious” conception connected Universal’s behind-the-scenes tram circuit (now shuttered, a replacement is expected to beryllium unveiled successful 2027).

“You spell done a batch of ‘what ifs,’” Corfino says. “I tin say, 1 of nan earlier ‘what ifs’ was ‘what if this,’ successful position of brand. We already had 1 [‘Fast & Furious’ attraction] connected nan backlot, but we didn’t cognize what other we were going to beryllium doing, truthful you spell done a batch of different ideas. But it was early connected that we said, ‘This marque speaks to it.’”

The position of Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift from Universal Studios Hollywood’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Fast & Furious, nan thoroughfare racing mega-franchise that’s celebrating its 25th day this year, useful successful portion because Universal could taxable nan coaster astir cinematic stunts. Before guests committee nan ride, they will locomotion done a twisting queue area that will attraction connected prop cars pinch installations designed to show really movie magic is brought to life. Guests will beryllium prodded to scan QR codes to further spell behind-the-scenes, that is if they’re not distracted watching nan coaster, which will motorboat straight supra them and past spell connected a travel done aggregate inversions connected nan broadside of a hill.

And past location was different problem: Would it beryllium excessively loud? Before onshore was moved, Universal placed speakers connected nan aged typical effects and stunt buildings to spot really sound traveled down nan hill. “We did recordings each complete nan spot and really established a baseline connected which to design,” Corfino says.

Ultimately, nan tracks would beryllium complemented pinch aggregate sound walls and shields, nan second clear structures designed to artifact coaster rumbles and assemblage screams. And because nan cars tin rotate 360 degrees, Universal tin successful mentation nonstop rider yells distant from nan workplace beneath and nan vicinity nearby. What’s more, nan existent way has been filled pinch pea gravel, designed to minimize chemoreceptor from immoderate reverberations.

“It’s incredibly quiet,” Corfino says. “We were capable to do that by putting materials wrong portions of nan way to deaden nan sound. I’m not judge we would person needed it, but it was important to do nan correct thing. It’s pea gravel and rocks. It’s quieter than I ever thought it was going to be.”

VP of Universal Creative Jon Corfino, who led nan imaginative improvement of nan Fast & Furious coaster, photographed successful 2019.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

A 72-mph coaster pinch 360-degree rotation and aggregate loops and inversions that’s comparatively muffled? Perhaps. I tin only opportunity that arsenic I watched trial cars velocity by maine past week from an precocious batch lookout, nan soundtrack from nan Jurassic World h2o thrust beneath was surely louder.

An opening day for nan coaster has not yet been set, but it’s soon. The different week nan Universal website concisely posted June 26 arsenic a motorboat date, and while that was erstwhile a targeted day, it will not beryllium nan coaster’s expansive opening, which is now expected aft nan Fourth of July vacation (the coaster will beryllium unfastened intermittently for tech rehearsals for immoderate clip earlier its charismatic date).

But Corfino is consenting to make 1 promise. “Given nan beingness realities of putting this connected nan broadside of a hill,” he says, “this is nan champion position successful Hollywood.”

That is, if you’ll beryllium brave capable to support your eyes unfastened to return it each in.

Universal Studios Hollywood first began exploring a high-speed coaster much than a decade ago.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

This week successful SoCal taxable parks

• Los Angeles loves a parade. Head to nan Los Angeles County Museum of Art connected Saturday evening for the Art Parade, which is designed to showcase L.A.’s thriving imaginative organization pinch a colorful convoy down Museum Row. Of peculiar note: Experiential creation patient Meow Wolf, which is successful improvement connected its first-ever Los Angeles installation, will beryllium participating. Meow Wolf’s L.A. exhibit, influenced arsenic beryllium sci-fi and cinema, is connected target for a wintertime opening.
  
• Disneyland history is Los Angeles history. The Autry Museum of nan American West has a caller exhibit, “Life, Liberty and Los Angeles.” As portion of nan show, which highlights really SoCal reflected and contradicted our nation’s founding ideals, guests will travel crossed a 1967 Autopia vehicle from Disneyland. Now possibly a spot quaint, nan thrust erstwhile exemplified our region’s dreams of an unfastened freeway. Autopia is owed adjacent twelvemonth to beryllium remade pinch electrical vehicles.
  
• Plan a circuit of Walt Disney’s erstwhile Los Feliz home. Disney and his family successful nan 1930s lived successful a storybook mansion. Keepers of nan location person announced that it will beryllium unfastened on a fewer prime Saturdays this summertime for tours. Though a backstage residence, tours are led by Disney master Dusty Sage, who oversees nan Micechat website and instrumentality community. I’ve been inside, and tin study nan location is afloat of unsocial creation quirks arsenic good arsenic a number of only-in-SoCal historical tales.
  
• A lively nighttime astatine Downtown Disney. Head to Downtown Disney connected Friday astatine 5 p.m. for Yardfest 2026, an evening to grant nan euphony and traditions of historically Black colleges and universities. Expect performances from nan Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul Marching Band adjacent nan area’s unrecorded stage, which itself has a unsocial design paying homage to famed Black architects, arsenic good arsenic specialty nutrient offerings and Mickey Mouse successful his drum awesome outfit.

Ride report

Knott’s Berry Farm has a caller show wrong nan Calico Saloon dubbed “Spirits and Shenanigans.” The accumulation is portion of nan park’s summertime offerings.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Today’s study is connected a show. It’s summertime play astatine Knott’s Berry Farm, which intends a caller storyline for its celebrated Ghost Town Alive!, a heavy improvised, actor-led acquisition that unfolds for illustration a live-action domiciled playing game. New this twelvemonth is simply a hootin’ and hollerin’ bully clip of a show in “Spirits and Shenanigans,” which takes spot successful nan Calico Saloon wrong nan park’s historical Ghost Town.

At 25-minutes, nan accumulation centers connected nan fictional husband-and-wife barroom proprietors, who singing of leaving Illinois to unfastened nan spot, arsenic good arsenic its boot-tapping, can-can dancing staffers. Just ever-so-slightly risque pinch a spot of a patriotic feel, it’s a fast-moving ode to drinking holes and nan consciousness of section organization they provide. Expect pat dancing arsenic good arsenic numbers that will move nan full shape into a drum kit. So if you’re heading to Knott’s this summer, “belly up to nan bar,” arsenic they sing, and drawback a Boysenberry IPA and 1 of nan fewer wrong seats for this lively, can’t-miss production.

Tell america your stories. Ask america your questions.

Have a taxable parkland communicative to share? Whether it was a bully time aliases less-than-perfect day, I would emotion to perceive astir it. Have a question? A tip? A nosy photograph from nan parks to share? Email maine astatine todd.martens@latimes.com. I whitethorn characteristic your statement successful an upcoming newsletter.

Ride on,

Todd Martens