TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Vin Diesel became emotional while reflecting on the long-awaited finale of the Fast & Furiousfranchise, revealing that he cried after reading the latest script for Fast Forever.
The 59-year-old actor discussed the upcoming film during a special 25th anniversary screening of The Fast and the Furious in Los Angeles on Monday, August 17, 2026.
Diesel told Variety that production on Fast Forever, the 11th and final installment in the franchise, is expected to begin in December.
The project has gone through four different sets of writers and four years of development before Diesel felt the script was finally ready for the franchise's conclusion.
“After I read the script, halfway through, one tear,” Diesel told the audience at the screening, as reported by USA Today.
“By the end of the script that we crafted and worked so hard to make right for you after four years, I was crying.”
“I couldn't hold it back, and I had to tell everyone. And my sister said, ‘No more crying, bro.’ So I just want to say that sometimes, even the toughest guys in the world need to cry.”
An Emotional Return to the Beginning
The anniversary screening brought Diesel back to the same Los Angeles theater where the original film premiered 25 years ago.
Diesel used the occasion to remember his late co-star Paul Walker, who played Brian O'Conner in the franchise.
“Twenty-five years ago I was sitting in this row, and I was sitting with Paul Walker,” Diesel told the audience, according to Entertainment Weekly.
He described Walker as a brother and encouraged fans to watch the original film as a reminder of how their on-screen relationship and the franchise's larger sense of family began.
“If any of you should ever have a blessing to have a brother like Pablo, it is the greatest gift God could bestow upon you,” Diesel said.
The event was attended by several original cast members, including Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez, as well as Chad Lindberg and Noel Gugliemi.
Diesel also said his 91-year-old father had flown in from New York for the screening. Walker's daughter, Meadow Walker, was also present.
Diesel has maintained a close relationship with Meadow, whom he walked down the aisle at her wedding. He said seeing Meadow with his children and with his daughter Pauline, whom he named after Walker, remains another emotional experience.
‘Fast Forever’ to Close the Franchise
Fast Forever is expected to conclude the billion-dollar franchise, following the cliffhanger ending of 2023's Fast X.
The film was originally planned as the second half of a two-part finale. However, production and development were delayed, with the movie eventually receiving a March 17, 2028, release date.
Diesel previously described the responsibility of ending the franchise as a major weight, particularly because of its long history and connection with audiences.
In March, he said returning to Los Angeles, where the original film began, felt like coming home.
The latest script was written by Mike Lesslie, known for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Diesel recently praised the script on Instagram, calling it “the best script I have read in decades.”
“I am still crying…” he wrote.
Director Louis Leterrier, who helmed Fast X, remains attached to the project. However, he said earlier this month that he had not yet read the latest version of the script.
“There will be an ending, and it's great,” Leterrier told Polygon.
Diesel also previously hinted that Walker's Brian could potentially return for the final installment, although details of the character's possible appearance remain undisclosed.
The franchise began in 2001 as a street-racing film before expanding into a global action series featuring stars including Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Jason Momoa, John Cena and Helen Mirren.
Now, after more than two decades, Diesel says the final chapter is finally taking shape.
