Justin Lin's The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift Finishes Third in Box Office Race

Director Justin Lin's ("Better Luck Tommorow") big-budget debut took third place in the June 16 weekend box office derby with $23.9 million, finishing behind "Cars" and "Nacho Libre." "The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift" marks Lin's second studio movie, following "Annapolis," released earlier this year.

Lin has come a long way since his first feature, "Better Luck Tomorrow," caused a sensation at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival with its dark depiction of Asian-American teens gone astray. In just three movies, Lin's gone from a low-budget indie feature to a summer blockbuster, breaking into the ranks of in-demand young Hollywood directors.

If you're thinking "sell-out," consider that Lin's success is enabling him to self-finance his next indie film, "Finishing the Game," which will reunite much of the "Better Luck Tomorrow" cast in a 70's-set satirical feature, to be produced by year-end.

Discover more about Lin's experience on "The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift" and his upcoming projects in a recent MySpace.Com Film feature article. And check back with CinemaPlanet for more updates on developments with "Finishing the Game" and Lin's rapidly accelerating career.