The road to the final entry in the Fast and Furious movies franchise has somehow become almost as complicated as one of Dom Toretto’s plans. At this point, what we know about Fast Forever is still pretty limited. It has a title, a March 17, 2028 release date, and Vin Diesel has been sharing updates that make the finale sound increasingly real. Now director Louis Leterrier has offered an update that makes me wonder just how far along this movie actually is.
Leterrier was recently asked whether he was getting impatient waiting to make the follow-up to 2023’s Fast X. Speaking with THR while discussing his new Netflix release, The Last House, the director made it clear he remains committed to finishing the saga, but his wording certainly makes the current status sound a little less settled than I expected. He explained:
No, I love Fast. I worked very hard in coming up with the idea for the end and everything. I was so lucky to be a part of the franchise. So I can’t wait, but I also cannot wait. Directors don’t idle well, so I have to direct. (Leterrier snaps fingers a few times to signify how he needs to keep directing projects.) I created a studio in Europe. We wrote and shot a season of Lupin, my show in Europe. I did two movies [The Last House and Liminal], and I’m doing another one. So I cannot wait. But I love this franchise, and I hope we get to finish in the best way possible.
“I hope we get to finish” is not exactly the phrase I expected to hear from the man contracted to direct a movie that already has an official release date. That is especially confusing because Diesel appeared to suggest things were much further along just last month. The Dominic Toretto actor shared a video seemingly from the Fast Forever set thanking fans for waiting more than three years for the finale. He ended the message by saying, “Let me get back to this filming.”
The situation has gotten even stranger since then. Leterrier recently said he still had not read the latest screenplay from Michael Lesslie, the same draft Diesel praised as one of the best scripts he had read in decades. So, what exactly is filming?
For now, Fast Forever remains officially dated for March 17, 2028. Universal lists the movie among its upcoming releases, and Leterrier remains attached to direct. The production has also faced questions about its enormous cost. Leterrier acknowledged that the franchise has to adjust its budget to match the realities of the modern box office, while Fast X star Alan Ritchson recently discussed the financial “obstacles” involved in getting another movie of this scale made.
At least everyone seems to agree on where the franchise is headed. Diesel has talked about bringing the story back to Los Angeles and the street-racing roots that launched Fast & Furious in 2001, while Leterrier says he has already helped shape how the saga will end.
After the ending of Fast X left Dom and his family dangling from one massive cliffhanger, I’m more than ready to see them finally cross the finish line. I’m just increasingly unsure when everyone is actually getting back in the car.
We won't be getting the next film on the 2026 movie release schedule or even in 2027, and until we get some clearer answers, fans can revisit the tenth installment with a Peacock subscription.
