Claim: Michelle Rodriguez is an actress..

The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 American-German action crime film directed by Rob Cohen , produced by Neal H. Moritz and written by Gary Scott Thompson and David Ayer . It is the first installment in the The Fast and the Furious franchise . The film stars Vin Diesel , Paul Walker , Michelle Rodriguez , Jordana Brewster , Rick Yune , Chad Lindberg , Johnny Strong , and Matt Schulze . The film follows undercover cop Brian O'Conner , who is tasked with stopping a group of unknown hijackers using high-performance racecars to hijack 18-wheelers .   Inspiration for the film was sought through a Vibe magazine article titled `` Racer X '' , which detailed the illegal street racing circuit operating within New York City . Filming locations include New York City and New England , with a majority of the film being shot in southern California . The Fast and the Furious was released on June 22 , 2001 , grossing over $ 207 million worldwide from an estimated $ 38 million budget . It was later re-released on June 22 , 2016 , to celebrate its 15th anniversary . It has a 53 % approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes , which called it `` sleek and shiny on the surface '' in its critical consensus . The Fast and the Furious launched a franchise of sequels , starting with 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003 , followed by The Fast and the Furious : Tokyo Drift in 2006 , Fast & Furious in 2009 , Fast Five in 2011 , Fast & Furious 6 in 2013 , Furious 7 in 2015 , and The Fate of the Furious in 2017 .