2 Fast 2 Furious

2 Fast 2 Furious is a 2003 action film directed by John Singleton from a screenplay by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, based on a story by Brandt, Haas, and Gary Scott Thompson. It is the sequel to The Fast and the Furious (2001) and the second installment in the Fast & Furious franchise. The film stars Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner alongside Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, and James Remar. In the film, ex-LAPD officer Brian O'Conner and his friend Roman Pearce (Gibson) go undercover for the United States Customs Service and the FBI to apprehend drug lord Carter Verone (Hauser) in exchange for the erasure of their criminal records. A second Fast & Furious film was planned after the box office success of its predecessor in 2001, and was confirmed with the returns of Walker and producer Neal H. Moritz. Vin Diesel and Rob Cohen, the co-star and director of the first film, were unable to return; Gibson and Singleton joined the cast in their absence in 2002. To canonically account for Diesel's departure, the short film The Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) was produced and released. Principal photography for 2 Fast 2 Furious commenced in September 2002 and lasted until that December, with filming locations including Miami and the surrounding areas in southern Florida. 2 Fast 2 Furious premiered at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles on June 3, 2003, and was released in the United States on June 6, by Universal Pictures. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics, but grossed $236.4 million worldwide. A standalone sequel, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, was released in 2006. Plot Having aided wanted felon Dominic Toretto in LA, ex-LAPD officer Brian O'Conner has escaped to Miami and is in hiding, making a living street racing in events organized by his friend, mechanic Tej Parker. Brian is arrested following a race, and offered a deal by his former boss, FBI Special Agent Bilkins and Customs Enforcement Agent Markham. Brian is offered to have his record cleared by going undercover to help secure the arrest of Argentinian drug lord Carter Verone. Brian agrees on the condition he choose his partner. Brian enlists the help of estranged childhood friend, Roman Pearce, in Barstow. Roman, on house arrest for grand theft auto, is distrustful of Brian due to his time as a cop, and blames the latter for his own arrest, resulting in a scuffle.