F9 hit theaters last summer, kicking off the endgame of the Fast and Furious franchise and, now, the family is gearing up for the final two movies. Fast 10 has been delayed slightly, but production is still moving forward. While the film series has gone through a ton of changes following Paul Walker’s death in 2013, the creatives have tried to keep his spirit alive. Now, ahead of the final film, director Justin Lin is looking back on his conversations with Walker regardin the franchise final installment.
Justin Lin has played a significant role in transforming the Fast franchise into what it is today. The filmmaker recently spoke to Insider about the ending to the franchise during which Paul Walker came up. Lin, who was back in the saddle for F9, revealed that even years ago, the Brian O'Conner actor was curious about how things would be wrapped up:
Even with Paul, back in 2008, we started, I think it was over dinner, I think it was over dinner in Mexico, he had brought up, 'Well, what would be the final film?' And, we would talk.
Needless to say, the minds behind this film series have been mulling over its conclusion for quite some time. This conversation was more than likely during the making of the 4th movie in the franchise, which brought everyone from the original film back after Justin Lin’s Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift. Lin went on to mark the importance of the conversation and the reality of him, Vin Diesel and their colleagues finishing up the franchise with Paul Walker:
But now sitting here talking to you, I think when Vin finally... said, 'Let's do it,' I felt like, 'Wow.' There's an added layer to that because this conversation has been, oh, it's been over 10 years. And, when we started, Paul was a big part of that conversation and so I really wanted to hopefully do justice to that.
This has to be a bittersweet experience for the group of collaborators. It's sad that one of their own won't be with them to finish the journey, but his absence is sure to serve as a source of motivation as opposed to one of sorrow. And those ties definitely run deep.
Vin Diesel recently posted a sweet tribute to Paul Walker on the anniversary of his death and even walked Walker's daughter, Meadow, down the aisle at her wedding. Family is a significant part of the Fast franchise, and it clearly extends outside of the film, as the main cast has been a close-knit group for decades now. They've also kept Meadow involved involved in the movies is a fantastic way to keep her father's legacy alive.
With only two more Fast films in the main series, we can be sure that everyone involved will be putting in serious work so that it concludes in an epic fashion. Vin Diesel is, of course, prepping for Fast 10 and looking better than ever. The crew and its fans have come a long way, and the conclusion that Paul Walker helped envision in 2008 is shaping up to be something special.
Fast 10 is currently set to hit theaters on May 19, 2023.
