Let’s be honest, Need For Speed is unlikely to redefine cinema or win too many awards – unless they start handing out Oscars for Best Donut. What it is likely to do is thrill petrol-heads and fill a Fast & Furious gap in our lives with very, very fast cars and some outlandish plotting.
As this new featurette demonstrates, Aaron Paul, Rami Malek, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots and co. got royally into the spirit of things during a shoot that involved taking the Highway Code and feeding it through the nearest shredder. And then burning the shreds. With a blowtorch.
Need For Speed sees Paul as Tobey Marshall, a street racer who goes into business with rich, arrogant car supplier pal Dino (Cooper), only to find himself framed when another friend dies during a race. Sent to jail, Marshall wants revenge and, once released, signs on for a cross-country race for a chance to strike back.
Dino learns about the scheme and puts a bounty on his head, forcing Tobey to go up against various illegal drivers in powerful vehicles. Michael Keaton is the reclusive, oddball host of the event, who invites the best racers from around the world to compete. Also in the cast are Poots (as an exotic car dealer), Rami Malek, Kid Cudi, Ramon Rodriguez and Harrison Gilbertson. It’s all overseen by Scott ‘Act Of Valor’ Waugh and adapted from the EA game.
Need For Speed is out here on March 14.