VIN DIESEL VS THE ROCK: ROUND 2 — audiences like to see A-listers hit each other. It’s a scientific fact! And audiences undoubtedly flocked to watch two of Hollywood’s beefiest beefcakes square off yet again. In ‘F8′, Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto turns against his beloved crew for mysterious reasons, putting him in the crosshairs of former DEA super agent-turned enemy-turned “family” member Luke Hobbs. Toretto betrays the group in spectacular fashion, flipping Hobbs’ car over after a job before taking off into the night – which you know won’t sit well with Hobbs, a character whose primary purposes are to talk trash and kick the crap out of criminals. The last time these two heavyweights went at it was in Fast Five, the first Fast flick to feature Johnson, and the first to break the $200 million mark. Put it this way: Imagine Stallone and Schwarzenegger circa 1987 going head to head. You’d want to see it. So would everyone else. And we’ve got the modern Clash-of-the-Action-Movie-titans here. FAMILY — even if you’re only vaguely familiar with the Fast films, you’ll know the series is fuelled by one overarching concept: family. What was first a trust shared by the movies’ heroes has since spread to the series’ loyal fans, translating into box office winnings as well as unexpected support outside the theatre. Back in 2013, actor Paul Walker, who played franchise staple Brian O’Connor, died in a car accident in Valencia, California. Soon after, devotees of the series began flocking to the scene to set up a makeshift shrine and pay their respects alongside co-stars Tyrese Gibson and Diesel. This is a worldwide fan base that will do anything for the franchise and its stars, including showing up en masse the first weekend a new chapter drops. They flexed their own muscles at the box office. (NEW) STAR POWER — part of the fun of every ‘Fast’ flick is watching the producers play Hollywood roulette by casting big-name actors who have yet to appear in the series. Like its predecessors, ‘F8’ added more fire power by bringing in a blond dread-wearing Charlize Theron as the villain Cipher, and Helen Mirren – subbing in her regal British accent for working-class cockney – as the mother of Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw. In Theron and Mirren, the series gets two Oscar winners and more visibility. Throw in the returning cast – Johnson, Statham, Diesel, Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris and Kurt Russell – and you may start counting the money now. LACK OF COMPETITION — next to ‘Star Wars’ and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Fast films are the closest thing studios have to a sure-fire bet at the box office. And when you’re opening up against movies like ‘The Lost City of Z’ and weeks-old contenders ‘The Boss Baby’, ‘Beauty & the Beast’ and ‘Power Rangers’, you’re free to rake in as much money as you can.