Paul Walker returns? Vin Diesel teases Dom and Brian reunion in new title ‘Fast Forever’

Los Angeles: The long-running "Fast & Furious" saga is gearing up for its final lap as Universal Pictures officially announced "Fast Forever" will race into theatres on March 17, 2028.

The eleventh instalment serves as a direct follow-up to 2023’s "Fast X," which was directed by Louis Leterrier. Franchise mainstay Vin Diesel, who portrays Dominic Toretto, confirmed the title and release date on Saturday via a nostalgic Instagram post featuring himself and the late Paul Walker.

"No one said the road would be easy... but it's ours. One that has defined us and become our legacy... And a legacy... lasts Forever. March 17th 2028! FAST FOREVER," Diesel wrote.

Walker, who played Brian O’Conner, died in a 2013 car crash during the production of "Furious 7." His potential involvement in the finale has been a subject of intense speculation. At a "Fuel Fest" event last year organised by Walker’s brother, Cody, Diesel teased that the final chapter would return to the franchise's "street racing and car culture" roots and suggested that Dom and Brian would be reunited. "That is what you're going to get in the finale," Diesel told fans.

While the sequel was originally slated for a 2025 release, production delays pushed the project back by three years. Universal has yet to confirm the full cast, plot details, or whether Leterrier will return to the director’s chair.

Diesel previously characterised the upcoming film as a "celebration of the incredible family we've built" and described it as the definitive conclusion to the primary story arc.

Since its debut in 2001, the "Fast & Furious" series has evolved from a mid-budget street racing film into a global box-office juggernaut. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the franchise has grossed more than $7 billion worldwide across ten mainline films and one spin-off.

With inputs from ANI