Who created the Fast & Furious franchise?

Gary Scott Thompson created the Fast & Furious franchise.

Thompson was one of the principal writers behind The Fast and the Furious, the 2001 film that launched the series. The original movie drew inspiration from Ken Li's 1998 Vibe magazine article “Racer X,” which described the underground street-racing scene in Los Angeles. Thompson shared screenplay credit with Erik Bergquist and David Ayer.

The franchise began as a relatively focused story about illegal street racing, undercover police work, modified cars, and the relationship between Brian O'Conner and Dominic Toretto. Later films expanded its scope into international heists, espionage, military action, and an increasingly broad family-centered ensemble.

A common mix-up is confusing the creator with the directors, producers, or later writers. Rob Cohen directed the first film, Neal H. Moritz produced it, and Chris Morgan became a major writer for later installments, but the franchise's credited creator is Thompson. Universal Pictures owns and distributes the film series.