After more than 20 years behind the wheel of one of cinema‘s most iconic franchises, an actor like this can’t help but speak with raw emotion. The ultimate guy-hero of the long-running Fast and Furious franchise, Vin Diesel is no stranger to dramatic pronouncements about his projects. But there’s a clear difference between the way he speaks about the next one, Fast Forever. Not the usual Hollywood hype machine on overdrive, but, an artist who has just experienced something that seems to have hit him right in the heart.
On social media, Diesel has been unabashedly honest about his feelings about the film’s script, which is the final in the mainline series that has been a worldwide hit since the beginning of the millennium. The trailers for the original Fast and the Furious were posted to the same Instagram account by the actor, who was the voice of the noble, stoic Dominick Toretto. His caption was simple but his words had a tone to them that was unexpected. His words, “You will be surprised to see the First one in the theaters this summer when March 17th 2028 arrives.” It feels like a theatrical re-release as it gets fans ready for the street-racing roots of which it will be the culmination, come to celebrate after more than 40 years.
But the real headline will be his evaluation of the script itself. In fact, Diesel has admitted that he has read the script for the movie dubbed the “Fast Forever” and his word for the quality of the script is quite positive. He said, “It is the best script I have read over the past decades, I am still crying. That’s a rushy reaction from a guy who’s seen his share of explosions, car chases, and high-stakes drama, and it would seem that Fast Forever is opting out of the blockbuster spectacles that seemed to be the hallmark of the franchise of late. It echoes the emotional tone that was the original strength of the show—one that predated the cars flying from skyscraper to skyscraper. The word “forever” in the title is a very heavy one, and it suggests that it’s the end, it’s forever, and it’s a legacy. If you were thinking this was just another two-hour adrenaline rush, you’d be wrong to assume that as Diesel tears up in his thoughtfully crafted script, he’s being frivolous.
Significant changes have taken place in the franchise since 2001. It started with a cop and a street racer who had a strange connection because of muscle cars and the desire to live a quarter-mile at a time. Since then, the series has evolved into something much larger than a street-racing affair, adopting a global wider perspective with some elements of heist and in a few places espionage. It’s like the stakes have risen to unimaginable levels, as the crew battles submarines, nuclear codes and cyber-terrorists. The fact that the announcement is for the final “main line” film indicates they want to go back to basics, and that could be why the script really got Diesel going. Director Louis Leterrier joins the mix, replacing Justin Lin in the production of Fast X. Leterrier’s signature of visually stating the moment while simultaneously adding to the character, may just be the formula he needs to pull off a script that apparently found their home in his head.
The ensemble cast is also an attraction to the movie. Other cast members of the series, such as Michelle Rodriguez as the fiercely loyal Letty Ortiz and Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce, who brings much of the film’s levity, join Diesel. The interactions between these characters have been a central part of the series for years, and the added benefit of allowing them to get older and wiser, and thus more developed through the years, has been part of the charm of the franchise. Although it is supposed to be the last of the franchise, the universe is still enormous and there is the potential of spin-offs at any point in the future. The 2019 Hobbs and Shaw installment has proven the series is capable of branching off from the central family unit, but Fast Forever is determined to wrap up Toretto’s tale.
The filmography of the franchise is a tapestry of cinematic evolution, reflecting its rich history. The series began with The Fast and the Furious back in 2001, which was essentially a 2000s car culture icon. It was followed by 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003, continuing the emphasis on high-octane street racing but adding to the universe. Japanese drifting levels were unleashed in 2006 with the release of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, a film that has been a cult hit for its stylish approach. The series was then restored to its 20th century roots with the 2009 self-titled reboot Fast and Furious, reuniting the original cast. Fast Five in 2011 marked the turning point from the series being considered a racing franchise to an action heist team. This was followed by Fast and Furious 6 in 2013, Furious 7 in 2015, The Fate of the Furious in 2017 and the blockbuster F9 in 2021. This grand finale was set in motion by most recently Fast X in 2023. Now that it’s March 17, 2028, fans are probably drawing a line in the sand and marking this date with anticipation and sadness.
