Buckle up: 'Fast & Furious' final chapter hits theatres in 2028
Vin Diesel as Dom Toretto and Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner in a scene from "Fast & Furious".
Image: Instagram.
The finish line is finally in sight. After years of rumours, Universal Pictures and Vin Diesel have officially confirmed the release date for the final instalment of the "Fast and Furious" franchise.
Diesel broke the news on Instagram with a series of emotional posts.
"It’s been a long road…", he wrote alongside a still of him driving a car from the movie, to which Tyrese Gibson commented: "Let’s gooooooo!!!!!!!"
However, it was the second post that pulled at fans' heartstrings: a classic photo of Diesel and the late Paul Walker from the original 2001 film.
In the image, Walker’s character, Brian O'Conner, is seen handing keys to Diesel’s Dom Toretto - a symbolic nod to the "legacy" theme of the finale.
In the caption, he wrote: "No one said the road would be easy… but it’s ours. One that has defined us and become our legacy… And a legacy… Lasts Forever. March 17th 2028! FAST FOREVER."
Back to the roots
Diesel has promised fans a "grounded" conclusion that honours the franchise's roots. To do that, the film will follow three major pillars:
Return to Los Angeles: The story will move away from the hyper-global hopping of recent entries and return to the streets where it all began.
Car culture focus: Expect a shift back toward street racing and "pure" car culture rather than just high-stakes international espionage.
The return of Brian O’Conner: Diesel has confirmed that the late Paul Walker’s character will be reunited with Dom Toretto. While the exact method hasn't been revealed, it is expected to use a combination of AI and CGI (similar to "Furious 7").
"Fast X" director Louis Leterrier is returning to finish what he started, while Christina Hodson and Oren Uziel are reportedly handling the screenplay.
Fans will be thrilled to know that Michelle Rodriguez (Letty), Tyrese Gibson (Roman), Ludacris (Tej), Sung Kang (Han) and Nathalie Emmanuel (Ramsey) will return to their roles.
Following the cliffhangers of the last film, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (Luke Hobbs) and Jason Statham (Deckard Shaw) will play major roles as they face off against villain Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa).
After "Fast X" cost a staggering $340 million (about R5.5bn), the studio is reportedly looking to cut the final bill by at least $100 million.
The plan is to focus on a tighter narrative and more practical stunts rather than relying solely on expensive digital effects.
The movie is being billed not just as an ending, but as a "celebration of the family" built over nearly 30 years.