The upcoming 10th and 11th entries in the hit Fast & Furious franchise will mark the end of the series, Vin Diesel has revealed. During recent interviews with ET Canada and The Associated Press, the franchise’s lead actor shared the news of its conclusion with the final two films, which will likely be released in 2023 and 2024.
While talking about ending the series, which has grossed nearly $6 billion at the box office since the first installment, The Fast and the Furious, opened in theaters in 2001, Diesel said “Every story deserves its own ending.” The star, who has also served as a producer on every sequel in the franchise since the third follow-up, 2009’s Fast and Furious, added: “I know people are going to feel like it doesn’t have to end, but I think all good things should. There are reasons for a finale. I think this franchise has deserved it.”
Diesel, who has played Dominic Toretto in eight of the series’ entries since The Fast and the Furious, added that “The world just championed this underdog to a place where it has already surpassed all of these other franchises. But the franchise has a soul, and that soul has to rest.”
Justin Lin, who directed the franchise’s upcoming ninth installment, F9, which Universal Pictures will release in theaters on June 25, said the idea of finishing the saga came during a conversation he had with Diesel. “We got together and Vin said, ‘I think we should think about closing up the saga now,” revealed the filmmaker, who has helmed five of the series’ sequels. He has already signed on to direct the final two entries.
Lin added that F9 “is kind of the first film of the final chapter…We’re kind of reconfiguring everything, so that the next two movies should wrap up this amazing journey for these characters.”
Along with Diesel, the Fast Saga also stars Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Jason Statham and the late Paul Walker. In 2019, Johnson and Statham starred in the franchise’s first spin-off movie, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. F9 not only brings back a fan favorite character to the series – actor Sung Kang’s Han — but also introduces John Cena as Dominic’s younger brother, Jakob, who helps drive the conflict in the franchise’s anticipated eighth direct sequel.