Fast & Furious marks 25 years with final film planned for 2028

MUMBAI: Fasten your seatbelts, nostalgia is taking the wheel. The Fast and the Furious is turning 25, and while the franchise is celebrating its journey with a theatrical rerelease, its stars are already looking towards what could be its final lap.

Universal is marking the anniversary of the 2001 film that started the franchise with a rerelease in cinemas and a special event in Los Angeles. The celebrations follow a midnight screening at Cannes earlier this year, where the film received a long standing ovation.

For Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Letty, the reaction was a reminder of how far the franchise has travelled and how much its audience still cares. She said the Cannes response made years of disagreements over the direction and values of the characters feel worthwhile.

The franchise has now delivered 10 films across two and a half decades, with an 11th instalment, Fast Forever, scheduled for March 2028. The film is being described as the likely final chapter of the current saga, although the cast is leaving the door open for the franchise to keep racing.

Vin Diesel, who stars in and produces the series, has already given the new script a hefty vote of confidence, calling it the best screenplay he has read in decades. He revealed that the project spent four years in development and went through four different writers before reaching its current form.

And if Diesel’s reaction is anything to go by, the next ride could be an emotional one. He said he was in tears while reading the script, teasing that audiences should get used to the emotion ahead of Fast Forever.

Rodriguez, however, wants the franchise to remember where it came from. With the series having moved from street races to increasingly outlandish global missions, she said her wish for the final film is to bring the focus back to cars, racing and the community that built the franchise.

She also questioned whether Fast Forever will truly be the end. Rodriguez suggested the current cast could act as a bridge to a new generation, effectively passing the baton while leaving the door open for the series to continue.

Jordana Brewster, who plays Mia Toretto, similarly said she would like the story to return to Los Angeles. She has also discussed a possible television storyline involving Mia and Brian’s children, imagining how the next generation might grow up carrying the legacy of their parents and Dom Toretto.

That television possibility is already moving beyond wishful thinking. At least one Fast & Furious TV series is in development, expanding the franchise’s universe and legacy characters.

The anniversary celebrations have also brought the franchise’s emotional history back into focus. During the Los Angeles event, Diesel remembered Paul Walker, recalling that 25 years ago they were sitting together as the journey was beginning.

Walker died in 2013, but his presence remains closely tied to the franchise’s identity. Diesel also acknowledged Walker’s daughter Meadow at the event while reflecting on the friendship that became one of the defining relationships behind the films.

For a series built on speed, Fast & Furious has certainly gone the distance. Now, with Fast Forever targeting March 2028, a television expansion in development and a new generation potentially waiting in the wings, its next chapter may be less about saying goodbye and more about deciding who gets the keys.