Vin Diesel revealed the final installment of Fast & Furious before Universal gave their approval.

      Vin Diesel and Paul Walker at the premiere of "Fast & Furious" in 2009.

      Kevin Winter/Getty Images

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      The Fast & Furious franchise was never going to conclude on anyone's terms aside from Vin Diesel's. Dominic Toretto embodies the heart of the franchise, and if there were any doubts, it's now clear that when the action star revealed Fast Forever last June, Universal had not yet approved the project.

      Indeed, during the recent FuelFest event in Tampa, it was shared by Cody Walker, Paul Walker's brother, who will portray Brian O’Conner in the 2028 film, that the studio had not given its approval when Vin made the announcement on stage last year. The cast learned about it almost in real-time.

      “That caught us all by surprise,” Walker remarked during a HotCars interview when asked about the announcement. “Standing on stage with him as he announced it, I thought, ‘Oh yeah?’ Now, I have to answer a bunch of questions, and I’m not equipped with the answers.”

      “Vin said, ‘You know, Universal hasn’t greenlit the project yet. They will, but it hasn’t been greenlit yet,’” Walker recounted. “I replied, ‘Yeah, I know.’ He continued, ‘I’m going to go on stage and make the announcement, and you’ll see what happens.’ So he went on stage, made the announcement, and Universal wasn't even aware that the movie was in development. Now they are, and it’s officially approved.”

      A bold move, but one would expect nothing less from Vin Diesel. Fast X premiered in 2023, and the release of the series’ final chapter has taken longer than fans—and, arguably, Dom himself—would have hoped. Did he announce the film early to kickstart negotiations? To place Universal in a situation where they couldn’t decline? It's uncertain. One would assume that, as both a producer and leading actor, he wouldn't have taken such a step without complete confidence in the outcome. Perhaps at that moment, the “green light” was merely a formality.

      Maybe one day, Vin Diesel will provide more insight into that situation. What we do know is that Fast Forever is officially set for release—now scheduled for March 2028, instead of the previously mentioned April of next year. It promises to bring the franchise back to its origins in the LA street racing scene and will reunite Dom and Brian, with Cody's involvement and some digital assistance.

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