The car enthusiast world’s most beloved Fast and Furious actor has returned to the screen for another feature-length film featuring cars. No, it’s not the next F&F franchise film, which is expected sometime in early 2028. But the trailer for Sung Kang’s new film will take fans back as its something akin to his “Tokyo Drift” roots.
“Drifter,” written, directed and acted by Kang, is the tale of a race track janitor Tree, who has to confront his past and overcome his own personal hurdles for a second chance at competing in a pro-drifting series. From the two-minute trailer released with IGN over the weekend, the film’s storyline looks to explore the testament of close relationships, not just with the people in Tree’s life, but his past and career. Here Tree takes a seemingly outdated car to the limit to prove himself one last time in hopes to build a better future.
For those not invested in a complex storyline, what you’ll certainly love is the Kang’s co-star “Lola,” a Toyota AE86, which fittingly is a car also tied to another car enthusiast saga, Initial D (another upcoming project Kang is also rumored to be tied to). The “Drifter” movie website has a section dedicated to each of the AE86s utilized in the film, identified as Lola 1, Lola 2 and Lola 2B. If you really want to get into the specs, you can check out their own pages via the links with their names above.
Kung’s love letter to the car community
Familiar faces in the cast include Rutledge Wood, Formula Drift technical commentator Jacob Gettins, and actor and former Donut media now co-founder and host of Speeed, James Pumphrey, as well as Formula D drifters Dai Yoshihara, the 2011 Champion, and Ryan Tuerck. IMDB also lists the stunt coordinator of the film to be Eliza Coleman who worked on several of Ken Block’s Gymkhana films, the last was “ELECTRIKHANA” part 1.
Kung told IGN that the film was meant to be a “love letter to the car community” and that “traditionally, films have not respected the car community in the way I see the car community.” The actor, also known for his love of the Toyota Sienna, happens to be a frequent face in the car world and is known for dropping by car shows, car YouTube, and races. I even managed to cross paths with him at IMSA’s Petit Le Man at Road Atlanta in 2024. I only managed enough courage to snap a picture of him though.
There’s no definitive release date for the film as of yet, though IGN reported the film is expected to come out later this year. The film’s website also teases an Events section that is expected to host the dates for what is expected to be the Drifter World Tour.
