Vin Diesel makes shock announcement about final ‘Fast & Furious' film
The actor, 57, surprised fans at FuelFest in Pomona, Calif., on Saturday and made a huge announcement about the franchise's upcoming final film, including the possible return of Paul Walker's character.
'Yesterday I was with Universal Studios. The studio said to me, 'Vin, can we please have the finale of 'Fast & Furious' [in] April 2027,'' Diesel told the cheering crowd. 'I said, 'Under three conditions.''
7 Vin Diesel attends CinemaCon 2023.
WireImage
He explained, 'The first is to bring the franchise back to L.A.! The second thing was to return to the car culture, to the street racing.'
'The third thing,' Diesel said, 'was reuniting Dom and Brian O'Conner. That is what you're going to get in the finale.'
7 Vin Diesel, Paul Walker in 2001's 'The Fast and the Furious.'
©MCA/Courtesy Everett Collection
Walker played Brian O'Conner in six 'Fast & Furious' movies before he died in a car crash in Nov. 2013 at age 40.
In 2015's 'Fast & Furious 7,' producers used CGI, doubles and Walker's brothers, Caleb and Cody, as stand-ins to give the late actor's character a proper sendoff.
7 Paul Walker and Vin Diesel in 'Fast & Furious 4.'
©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
VFX supervisor Joe Letteri told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015 how they added dialogue in Brian's appearance in the final scene.
'Most of the CG shots had some kind of dialogue,' Letteri said. 'The sound editors had to craft the vocal performance out of [existing] dialog from Paul, and we had to animate to that.'
Years after Walker's death, his daughter Meadow, 26, made a cameo in 2023's 'Fast X' as a flight attendant. Walker also appeared in the film via archival footage from 'Fast & Furious 5.'
7 Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in 'The Fast and the Furious.'
Getty Images
7 Johnny Strong, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Chad Lindberg in 'The Fast and the Furious.'
©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Diesel is set to return for the follow-up to the tenth 'Fast and Furious' movie, which also starred Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Brie Larson, Jason Statham, Helen Mirren and Rita Moreno.
The film, which was directed by Louis Leterrier, made over $700 million at the worldwide box office.
7 Vin Diesel in 'Fast Five.'
Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Leterrier, who is returning to direct 'Fast & Furious 11,' teased the upcoming project in a 2023 interview with Entertainment Weekly.
'You're going to cry. Part 2 is going to be a sad one,' the director said. 'There are some tears in your future, let me tell you.'
7 Matt Schulze, Michelle Rodriguez, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Johnny Strong, Jordana Brewster, Rick Yune and Chad Lindberg in 'The Fast and the Furious.'
©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Leterrier further teased, 'I love twists. And if you like twists, you're going to love the next one — twists on twists on twists.'
'Fast & Furious 11' does not have an official release date.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
7 hours ago
- Gizmodo
‘Fast & Furious' Couldn't Keep Driving Like This
Every franchise, if allowed to go on long enough, hits a wall sooner or later. Nothing lasts forever, as they say, and we've seen this eventuality come sooner or later in different flavors. But not many have hit the wall quite like Fast & Furious. One of the biggest, stupidest Hollywood franchises around is now slated to end its main run of movies in April 2027 with Fast XI. It's an end that can't come soon enough, honestly. Fast X's biggest crime wasn't being half a movie—though of summer 2023's trio of half-movies, it was easily the worst of the bunch—but how much it confirmed the series' fumes had finally diminished. The question of where this series goes has always hung around post-Furious 7, which only felt conclusive because it suddenly had to be retooled as a farewell to the late Paul Walker and his character, Brian O'Connor. The writers for these characters likely weren't thinking long-term prior to Walker's passing, so it's impossible to know how this franchise would've gone on otherwise. For better or worse, Brian was an anchor being (ugh) for Fast & Furious, and things have fallen apart without him. The sequels have tried to position different characters to fill that void, but the attempted candidates—Little Nobody in Fate of the Furious, Dom's brother Jakob in F9, and ex-Fast baddies Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw—are either too green or too experienced to really settle in with the other characters, who've all been playing the same notes throughout the Fast saga. People have never really been these movies' strong suit, but it's increasingly felt like the cast is on autopilot until it's time for a car scene or stunt, not helped by the gradual pivot from an ensemble piece to 'The Dom Toretto Show (and Friends)' and increasingly dubious character swerves. (Vin Diesel's refusal to share the spotlight with anyone else may be the franchise's biggest flaw, and if you don't believe me, go watch Dungeons & Dragons to see how much more awake Michelle Rodriguez is compared to these movies. Actually, go watch that anyways because it's great.) Such nonsense can be forgiven in, say, Mission: Impossible, but those movies have smaller casts and generally employ more restraint. In the past, Fast embracing idiocy made for a fun spectacle; watching the final act of Furious 6 in theaters with a crowd was a deliriously good time. But stunt-wise, the series might've peaked with Seven or Fate, something the creative forces seem to have finally admitted to themselves. On its face, Diesel's promise of Fast XI being set in LA and returning to the car culture and street antics of the first film isn't a bad thing and may even result in some more inventive set pieces now that they have to rein themselves back in. It'll just always be funny how the series' next escalation is a de-escalation that'll have to skirt by its last movie's cliffhanger ending and hope Dwayne Jonshon and Jason Momoa's purported double act can help square that circle when or if the time comes. Come April 2027, I will likely be there in the theaters watching Fast XI with everyone else to see how things end. The series has enough good entries under its belt to warrant seeing it through to the end and seeing the inevitably messy way they bring Brian back into the fold. I just wish it were going out on better terms after all the goodwill it'd built up with its middle entries. But we got Brazil and the longest airport runway in the world, so at least there's that. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why Everyone Is Talking About Malta Right Now
If you follow actors (Josh Gad, Millie Bobby Brown, Anna Camp, Gregg Sulkin, Chris Perfetti or Barbie Ferreira), filmmakers (Jon Watts, Jake Schreier, Catherine Hardwicke or Andrew Ahn), production executives (from Amazon, A24, Universal/Focus Features, HBO/Max, Searchlight or Arclight Films) or journalists (from THR, Variety or Ankler) on Instagram, chances are you've seen images of Malta in recent days. That's the goal of Johann Grech, who serves as Malta Film commissioner and CEO of Malta Film Studios. The man is at the center of the Mediterrane Film Festival, which ran on the island nation from June 21-29. And while it served as a showcase of international cinema, it's just as much a promotional tool to attract projects to Malta, which this year is celebrating a 100th anniversary of hosting international productions and toasting a rich 40 percent tax rebate incentive to keep cameras rolling in 2025 and beyond. More from The Hollywood Reporter Netflix Takes Victory Lap Through Seoul With Massive 'Squid Game' Parade Canada Scraps Digital Services Tax After Trump Trade Talks Threat BBC "Regrets" Not Pulling Bob Vylan Glastonbury Set Livestream With "Antisemitic Sentiments" It seems to be working. While the festival rolled out in the capital city of Valletta, there have been seven projects shooting in Malta, including another Enola Holmes, a second season of Paris Has Fallen, Luke Eve's Easy and Hulu's reality dating series Overboard for Love produced by Call Her Daddy guru Alex Cooper, to name just a few. In a few days, Universal will release the anticipated Jurassic World Rebirth starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali, a film that used Malta as a backdrop for certain action sequences, the latest in a long line of blockbusters shot here including Ridley Scott's Gladiator franchise and Napoleon. During a break from a busy fest schedule, Grech sat down with THR inside the Malta Film Studios offices to talk about his nearly eight-year tenure steering the ship here, how the festival fits in with his master plan and finalizing some long-overdue blueprints to build a soundstage next to the studio's water tanks. We're speaking at the halfway point of the film festival. How are you feeling? Excited. Fired up. Every year, the festival is growing as an organization in terms of attracting an interested audience, in terms of popularity and positioning. This year, its third year, is going to be the best edition. The Mediterrane Film Festival was the brain child of mine and I'm so excited to really keep growing it for the future, and I'm satisfied that the brand is being further developed and it keeps growing. It's attracting audiences to Malta because at the end of the day, the festival is a strategic business tool for Malta to increase Malta as a filming destination. It helps attract more projects to Malta which will result in more jobs for Maltese crew. So in terms of the objectives, we are reaching those. What other objectives are you looking to accomplish? Our marketing aspects have different components, which are reaching audiences made up of producers, independent filmmakers, studio executives, financiers, decision-makers and others in helping bring them to Malta. We can, of course, reach out to them by going to Hollywood or places like the U.K. or other locations in Europe, but the other way is to invite audiences here. That way they can see our product up close and personally, they can visit the locations and dream about their projects that can be executed here. We are known for our cash rebate, which we increased to 40 percent and it helped strengthen our position. We are also known for our water tanks and every time we get filmmakers here, they can actually see what we offer; it's not just talk. What you see is what you get here. The Mediterrane Film Festival is a tool for reaching them. We are using this platform not to just discuss the art of film but to express a vision for further collaboration because film is a collaboration between different nations, different cultures. But we are also screening movies and encouraging the public to participate in those screenings, and as a result showing what are and culture provides to the world. There are more Hollywood physical production executives on the ground this year than in any other edition of the festival. What are the conversations like with them? This week, we are meeting executives for one-on-one meetings. It's business-to-business to understand what their needs and experiences are, and we're learning more about what types of projects they have so we can pitch to the studios, or we can show them what the potential is here. We can show them what Malta and the water can offer to their scripts. We've organized amazing location tours — of the sea and of the studios — so they can see for themselves. Malta can easily double for different countries, different cities. The missing part is that we don't have soundstages. So, we are using this festival to reach out to potential investors because we now have a blueprint to finish. In Malta, there has been talk of a soundstage for at least 61 years, but it's never been as close in terms of getting done as it is today. As you mentioned, the soundstage has been a subject of conversation for decades, and there's been some criticism over why it's taken so long. Why? There were no blueprints. But now we have blueprints and it's going to be world-class with a vision for the next 400 years. You might tell me that it's ambitious. Yes, I'm ambitious. I'm ambitious for our vision, our goals and our objectives. Our model is ready to be built. We're using the Mediterrane Film Festival to attract investors to talk about our project so that it's not just the government but also the private sector who will work to make it happen. At one point, it was to be three soundstages? Yes. When I became commissioner over seven years ago, I said that we were going to push for a master plan. And we did. We got our plans approved by the authorities. Part of that master plan was for the film studios to have a world-class soundstage because in order for us to compete, we have to have our own product that is world-class. Part of what makes us leaders is the incentives but it has to be the other services we offer and that infrastructure. So, the master plan includes not just a soundstage but also workshops, production offices, warehouses and other facilities required by productions. The soundstage will be located in a specific area of the studios, near the deep water tank. That's why I say that what we're building is setting the stage for the next 100 years so that future generations will benefit hugely from the infrastructure that we're creating. Since you came aboard in 2018, what would you say is your proudest accomplishment? Seven years of turning the industry from a seasonal one to working all year round. It has become an economic powerhouse to our nation. In 2023, it was the best year ever in the story of filmmaking. We delivered 18 percent of our economic growth in the last five years and we sustained 15,000 jobs. In the last five years, the industry has generated over a billion euros in our economy. Today, we have more than 1,000 of our film workforce working all year round and more than 700 businesses. This has been an achievement. When I came here, I had people knocking on my door, telling me that they were jobless. 'What are you going to do for me?' I said, 'Give me time. We will rebuild and strengthen our product and we will get more films here.' We increased the cash rebate to 40 percent and then we issued a call for more Maltese to join the industry so that we could further upskill our crews. Under my administration, we got 169 productions. The last five years have generated a massive impact on the economy. What would you say are your biggest challenges? I know there have been some budget controversies in recent years … Our investments lead to bigger results. For example, for every euro that we invest in film, the film industry generates three back. Let me ask you a question: Would you invest $5 million to get $15 million? The answer is yes. The government is convinced of the investment because the return is so huge. For example, the government is getting more income in terms of tax contribution then it is investing. Would you invest more? Of course, the answer is yes. We are lucky that we have a government on our side. We are lucky that our government understands the film business. The figures are clear because it's logical. My cab driver said Malta is stressed because there are something like 30-45 new cars on the road each day with the influx of immigrants and new people coming to live here. Malta is a small country with a finite area of land, housing and resources. Do you worry about that? There's incredible interest in Malta but the management or the productions is key to our success. For example, we have seven productions currently. We can't have 12. We can't have three blockbusters at once. My job as the commissioner is not to lose any business but to attract business. We ensure that we don't lose business so it's all about mapping and planning. Planning is fundamental to the film commission. We work closely with studios and filmmakers to ensure that there's a good plan and a good flow. We have many partners in the business and we wrote guidelines from a business and production point of view to ensure a smooth and successful experience for everyone. I want to ask you a question regarding the centennial anniversary. I know this may be hard to pick since so many projects have filmed here over the years, but looking back over the 100 years, do you have a favorite film that shot in Malta or something that means a lot to you? I will start with Gladiator and Jurassic World. I will also mention Munich, which was not made during my administration. I wish it was but it would be on my bucket list to get [Steven Spielberg] here again. Munich showed the world that Malta is so much more. We doubled as a location for six different countries. That, as well as Gladiator, positioned us on a global map. When you pitch to filmmakers, what do you say that Malta can be subbed for? Everything is important to us. Every film has its own art. We do talk about the versatility of the locations and we can offer southern France, the Middle East and recently we even substituted for Boston. We can do so many places, and that's why the next step is the building of the soundstages so we can do many more. What is your vision for the future of the Mediterrane Film Festival? This is an important tool for Malta to reach out to the film community. It's a platform for us to share with other nations and strengthen the film industry globally. Malta was always a bridge between continents, and the festival is a bridge for the film industry. This is just the start. My vision — again you may tell me that its ambitious but we dare to win — is to lead us into the next 100 years. It's not just a legacy for us but we're building something for the next generation to ensure that Maltese will not just have jobs but they will have careers in the film industry. We're creating a foundation to ensure that we have a world-class film industry in Malta. See below for scenes from inside the Mediterrane Film Festival's sunset party at Saluting Battery on Saturday night. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘The Cat in the Hat': Everything to know about the ‘Seussiverse'-launching animated feature
Talk about cat-itude. Following in the pawsteps of Mike Myers and Martin Short, Bill Hader is the latest actor to embody Dr. Seuss's iconic chapeu-wearing feline in Warner Bros. Animation's upcoming animated version of The Cat in the Hat. Due in theaters on February 27, the release marks the return of the studio's previously dormant theatrical animation division, which teased a full slate of new feature-length cartoons at CinemaCon earlier this year. The CinemaCon crowd was also treated to early footage from the The Cat in the Hat, including some non-finished sequences. But all the digital ink and paint is dry on the first trailer for the film, which debuted today and promised plenty of Seussian imagery and tomfoolery. More from Gold Derby 'Thunderbolts' exclusive: Watch the extended limo chase sequence 'The Running Man': Everything to know about Edgar Wright's new take on Stephen King's dystopian classic as trailer drops Hader, for one, is happy to provide the voice for the Cat in the Hat's latest onscreen life. "I remember reading the book as a kid and then reading it to my own kids," he remarked during a pre-trailer release press event that Gold Derby attended. "[Being offered] the chance to play such an iconic character ... I was like, 'Yes!'" Here's what you can expect from The Cat in the Hat when he slinks into multiplexes in early 2026. If you're stuck indoors when the sun's not shining and it's too wet to play, consider yourselves catnip for the Cat in the Hat. His corporate job tasks with turning children's frowns upside down, the exuberant feline makes house calls whenever fun is lacking. The Cat's latest assignment? Enlivening the existence of a pair of siblings still mired in that loneliness phase of being new-in-town. But in the process of bringing great cheer, the Cat also gets in great trouble. After being implicated in a zoo-related act of malfeasance, he sets out to clear his name — and keep his company from clawing back his hat — with the help of his new pals, some familiar Seuss critters and two very special Things. Not all of that plot is in this first teaser, though, as co-directors Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni told reporters that they consciously wanted to put tone before story. "This is really introducing our version of the Cat in the Hat and getting into our more modern take on this," noted Rivinoja. "We're not giving away anything about the evolution of the narrative of our movie," echoed Carloni, promising that future trailers will provide more plot details. "We're so excited to actually get to explore fantastical, incredible worlds that we've never seen before." While Hader provides a voice from Saturday Night Live past, Bowen Yang is on hand to represent SNL present. Marvel's Xochitl Gomez, Girls5Eva's Paula Pell and British comic Matt Berry are also in the vocal mix, as is Abbott Elementary's Quinta Brunson as the Cat's best work friend: Sherry from Human Resources. "Getting Bill and Quinta in the room was putting two comedy icons together," raved Rivinoja. And Carloni confirmed that the cast really did occupy the same recording space on multiple occasions — something that's increasingly rare for studio animation. "We wanted to make sure that Bill and his character had someone to play against," he noted. It's worth noting that Hader has had previous hatted cat experience. He played a much, much more adult version of the character in a 2014 SNL sketch. "They didn't write that for me because they knew I loved the book," Hader joked of that earlier rendition. "I think the writers were going through an issue in their marriage and used the Cat in the Hat as a way of indirectly commenting on that!" According to the filmmakers — and backed up by the trailer — The Cat in the Hat will unfold in multiple realities, including our world and a land that's practically Seussian in every way. "In the rendering of surfaces and the shape of objects, we created the Cat's world as if it's the world of Dr. Seuss," Carloni promised. "But we also created a world that is more grounded and believable; not quite as photorealistic as our reality, but very relatable." "The unique thing about this movie is that you get to see multiple movies in one," Carloni continued. "We traverse different universes, and we put that onscreen." For the directors, that approach was the best way to pay homage to the richly imagined — and riotously funny — worlds that Dr. Seuss conjured on the page. "Dr. Seuss had sophisticated humor that worked on all levels, and we just really wanted to retain that in animation," Rivinoja said. Of course, kids can only take so much sophistication in their entertainment. "There are also a lot of very classy fart jokes," she admitted with a laugh. Do fox wear socks? At CinemaCon, Warner Bros. Animation head Bill Damaschke said that The Cat in the Hat is the Iron Man-style gateway to a whole "Seussiverse." The next installment is an adaptation of Oh, the Places You'll Go! that's co-directed by Wicked maestro Jon M. Chu with songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. While a Cat in the Hat sequel hasn't been announced, the creative team already sounded purrfectly game for a reunion. "At the end of the day, we got paid to be silly all the time," Rivinoja said. "It's a pretty good job, I suppose." Best of Gold Derby Everything to know about 'The Batman 2': Returning cast, script finalized Tom Cruise movies: 17 greatest films ranked worst to best 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') Click here to read the full article.
