Nobody could have guessed back in 2001 when The Fast and the Furious came out that it would turn into a franchise spanning over two decades, but we’re finally approaching the end of the saga, with the name and release date of the eleventh film recently being announced on social media by producer and star Vin Diesel. According to his Instagram post, the final movie in the series will be called Fast Forever and open in cinemas on March 17 2028. Universal, the studio behind the franchise, confirmed the news that this will be the last film in the series.
What We Know About the Last Fast & Furious Film
Vin Diesel’s post included a screengrab of himself and Paul Walker from the first film, and the latter’s return has been teased by the former on several occasions. After Walker’s tragic passing in 2013, computer-generated imagery and Paul’s brother, Cody, were used to complete his scenes in Furious 7, and it’s presumed that CGI will again play a role, likely with the help of AI, in bringing Walker’s Brian O’Conner character back to the silver screen. Teasers in the credits of the last film, Fast X, revealed that Gal Gadot’s character, Gisele, will also be somehow returning to the Fast family, despite appearing to die in Fast & Furious 6. Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs character will reappear, too, and Diesel says this final movie will be a return to street racing culture. He’s also confirmed that the finale will be set in Los Angeles in an effort to return the franchise to its roots. Despite that, expect the unexpected.
‘Fast Forever’ Has Its Work Cut Out
While street racing and an LA setting are positives that may help to ground the film, the series has set certain expectations. This grand finale will undoubtedly be full of over-the-top action, and if Diesel’s proclamation at the end of last year proves true, Fast Forever will even have a cameo from soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. What role he will play is unclear, but with characters being brought back to life, past films including a trip to space and cars battling a tank, and a general ignorance of normality, no possibility is too ridiculous. And with a release date more than two years away, following several delays and budget disagreements, there’s plenty of time for the film to spiral out of control, for better or worse. Returning the franchise to street racing will be tough after the last film ended on a cliffhanger that involved exploding self-driving trucks, Dom driving down a dam wall, and a submarine, but we’re looking forward to seeing how the franchise finds its way back. Hopefully, a trailer will arrive before we all lose interest.
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