The Fast and the Furious (also known as Fast & Furious) is an American franchise including a series of action films, which center on illegal street racing and heists, and various other media portraying the characters and situations from the films. Distributed by Universal Pictures, the series was established with the 2001 film titled The Fast and the Furious; followed by six sequels, two short films that tie into the series, and as of May 2015,[1] it has become Universal's biggest franchise of all time.[2]