Series stalwart Vin Diesel, who is due to reprise his role as gruff family man Dominic Toretto with next year’s Fast 8, is keen to welcome back director Justin Lin to helm the final Fast and Furious movie.
Currently pegged for release in 2021, details regarding the tenth installment in Universal’s action juggernaut are naturally few and far between, but as Lin revealed in a recent interview with Wired, there have been talks regarding a potential homecoming for the director in time for the franchise’s final (?) bow.
Doing the press rounds in anticipation of Star Trek Beyond, Justin Lin revealed his close relationship with Vin Diesel, having directed Fast and Furious three through six:
“Whenever we had a day off—even on Thanksgiving, his favorite holiday—it was Justin and me working on how far we could take it. Success comes from 10 years of that mentality. Vin says you finish what you started, and he’s very persuasive.”
When asked about the possibility of Justin Lin returning to close the book on the Toretto arc, Diesel was much more confident, stating, “I’m going to bring him back.” Whether the filmmaker will indeed circle back to the Fast and Furious is a decision that rests with the Powers That Be, but even still, given how successful his movies proved to be at the box office along with Diesel’s clout at Universal, don’t discount those chances of a return.
What’s more, there’s also the small matter of Universal’s spinoff plans for Fast and Furious further down the line. Could Justin Lin take point at the helm sooner than 2021?
Next up for the studio’s franchise is Fast 8, which will herald the beginning of a new trilogy of movies at Universal, with Gray’s sequel will kick things off with an Icelandic bang on April 14, 2017. It’ll be followed in quick succession by Fast and Furious 9 and Fast and Furious 10 on April 19, 2019 and April 2, 2021, respectively.
