Rob Cohen directed The Fast and the Furious, the 2001 film that began the franchise.
Cohen directed the original movie after working with producer Neal H. Moritz and actor Paul Walker. The film follows undercover police officer Brian O'Conner as he investigates a series of truck hijackings and infiltrates Dominic Toretto's street-racing crew in Los Angeles.
The film was written by Gary Scott Thompson, Erik Bergquist, and David Ayer, based partly on Ken Li's 1998 Vibe magazine article “Racer X.” Cohen's direction helped establish the franchise's blend of street racing, undercover-crime plotting, practical car stunts, and ensemble chemistry.
A frequent mistake is choosing Justin Lin, who directed several later entries, including Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Fast & Furious 6. James Wan directed Furious 7, while John Singleton directed 2 Fast 2 Furious. Cohen's film premiered in June 2001 and became the launch point for the long-running series.