Fast & Furious (2009) is the fourth installment in the action franchise, directed by Justin Lin and written by Chris Morgan, serving as a direct sequel to the first two films while taking place before The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The plot follows Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and FBI agent Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) as they are forced to team up to avenge the murder of Dom's lover Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and take down the elusive Mexican drug lord Arturo Braga. Filmed in 2008 across Los Angeles and the Dominican Republic, it made history as the first theatrical release to feature 4DX motion, and marked Diesel's debut as a producer on the series. Premiering on March 12, 2009, and hitting theaters on April 3, it received mixed reviews—critics panned the script but praised the high-octane action sequences. Nevertheless, the film grossed over $360 million worldwide, exceeding expectations to become the highest-earning entry in the franchise at the time, and was followed by Fast Five in 2011.