Vin Diesel still crying over Fast Forever script: ‘Best I’ve read in decades’

I know, it feels like we've spent ages watching Fast & Furious films spin further into absurdity, but somehow the saga is still not done. Now, Vin Diesel is back doing what he does best: hyping up this next entry, Fast Forever, like it's the second coming of cinema.

Vin Diesel's Dramatic Tease

The original The Fast and the Furious is getting a 25th anniversary cinematic re-release on 21 August (yes, it really has been that long). Naturally, Diesel took to Instagram to ride the nostalgia train, sharing a trailer for the re-release. But more interestingly, in his caption, he reveals he's just read Michael Lesslie's script for Fast Forever – and he claims it's a proper tearjerker.

On Instagram, Vin Diesel wrote: "You have no idea… When March 17th 2028 comes… I just read the ‘Fast Forever’ script by Mike Leslie. It is the best script I have read in decades. I am still crying."

Yes, he really said he was still crying – either he's gone soft in his old age, or the script is genuinely that good.

Somehow, We're Waiting Until 2028

Universal is supposedly aiming to release Fast Forever on 17 March 2028. Which, if you're counting, means fans are waiting a full five years since Fast X left us hanging off that ridiculous cliff. I'm not convinced they'll hit that deadline – at this point, it's optimistic paperwork at best.

Fast Forever is officially scheduled for release on 17 March 2028 – at least for now.

The Money Problem

Here's where things get dicey. Fast X reportedly ended up being an almighty money pit, and the box office returns weren't quite enough to wipe Universal's brow. Unsurprisingly, execs are tightening the purse strings for Fast Forever. Alan Ritchson – who played Aimes in Fast X and is meant to return – actually addressed the elephant in the room on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. His take? It's just too expensive to make.

Speaking to the podcast, Ritchson admitted: "There’s just a lot of obstacles. It’s expensive to make— it’s too expensive; it doesn’t make a ton of sense. There’s a more efficient way to shoot those shows. And so there has to be a way to show restraint, while also honoring the fact that this world has expanded to something humongous. We are at the crossroads of something very hard to figure out, and everybody’s figuring it out."

He does insist another Fast film will happen; it's just about solving these massive production headaches. Or, as he puts it, "It’s just a matter of solving some big problems."

Cast & Story – What We Know

So far, we've got Ritchson on board again and Diesel leading the charge. The new script comes from Michael Lesslie (yes, the bloke who wrote Assassin's Creed and worked on The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes). Not much else has leaked about casting, plot, or exactly how they'll top sending a car into space – but at this rate, nothing's off the table.

• 25th anniversary re-release of the original Fast film hits cinemas 21 August 2026
• Fast Forever planned for 17 March 2028, but it's not guaranteed
• Script by Michael Lesslie, and apparently it's made Diesel weep
• Alan Ritchson is expected back, but says budget is a real snag

All told, the franchise has gone from nicking DVD players off lorries to grappling with nuclear submarines and space suits. If they manage to stick the landing – with or without a sensible budget – it'll be a miracle worthy of Dom's infamous family barbecue.