Michelle Rodriguez publicly refused to star in future 'Fast & Furious' movies until they added a female writer.
When some actors agree to sign on for certain movies, they do with certain provisos and arrangements attached.
For example, Bill Murray only did 'Ghostbusters' if Columbia Pictures would finance 'The Razor's Edge', his first straight-up drama / thriller role. Michelle Rodriguez, however, would only appear in 'Fast and Furious 9' if Universal agreed to add a female writer to the production.
Back in 2017, Rodriguez publicly stated that she would walk away from the 'Furious' franchise if they didn't start working on representation. Of course, the likes of Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren have turned up in the franchise in major roles. Not only that, Vanessa Kirby is one of the topline cast of the franchise's first spin off, 'Hobbs & Shaw'.
At any rate, Bloomberg reports that Rodriguez has now signed on for the ninth movie, but only did so after striking an agreement where a female writer would be added to the production. "“I felt like there was not enough of a female voice in the franchise," Rodriguez said on Thursday at the Bloomberg Future of Equality Summit in London. "You should evolve with the times, not just pander to certain demographics that are stuck (in the past)."
That writer hasn't yet been announced, however there's a laundry list of female blockbuster writers who are more than equal to the task. Nicole Perlman, who co-wrote 'Guardians of the Galaxy' with James Gunn, is currently working on the sequel to Jim Henson's 'Labyrinth'. Geneva Robertson-Dworet, meanwhile, worked on 'Captain Marvel' and Alicia Vikander's reboot of 'Tomb Raider' as well. In short, there's plenty of talent so why not hire them?
'Fast and Furious 9' is slated for May 22nd, 2020.