Vin Diesel Says Fast Forever Script Made Him Cry, but Director Louis Leterrier Still Hasn’t Read It

Vin Diesel says the script for Fast Forever was powerful enough to bring him to tears — but, in an unexpected twist, the director who is supposed to bring the next chapter of the Fast & Furious saga to the screen says he still hasn’t read it.

The upcoming film, officially titled Fast Forever, will serve as the 11th main installment in Universal’s blockbuster Fast & Furious franchise and is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 17, 2028.

Diesel, who has played Dominic Toretto since the original The Fast and the Furious debuted in 2001, recently offered an emotional endorsement of the screenplay written by Michael Lesslie.

“It is the best script I have read in decades,” Diesel wrote on Instagram.

The actor’s reaction immediately raised expectations for a movie that is expected to bring major storylines from the franchise toward a conclusion.

But while Diesel has already read the screenplay and publicly praised it, returning director Louis Leterrier revealed that he has not yet had the same opportunity.

Louis Leterrier Says He Hasn’t Read the Script Yet

Leterrier, who directed 2023’s Fast X and is set to return for Fast Forever, discussed the project while promoting his upcoming sci-fi horror film The Last House.

Asked about the screenplay, the filmmaker acknowledged that there were limits to what he could reveal.

“I’d love to tell you the full truth, but I can’t,” Leterrier told Polygon.

Still, he suggested that audiences should expect a meaningful conclusion.

“There will be an ending, and it’s great,” he said.

Leterrier also spoke warmly about his experience working on the franchise and with Diesel and Universal.

“I was very, very lucky to be part of the franchise, and I love Vin and I love Universal,” he said. “They’re great to work with. So yeah. We’ll see, hopefully.”

His comments create an unusual situation around one of Hollywood’s biggest upcoming action movies: its leading star is publicly celebrating the screenplay, while the director attached to the project has yet to read the latest version.

That does not necessarily signal a problem, however, particularly for a large production that remains well ahead of its 2028 theatrical release.

Scripts for major franchise films frequently evolve during development as studios, producers, writers and filmmakers work through story, scheduling and production considerations.

Diesel Has Been Building Anticipation for the Finale

Diesel has long treated the Fast & Furious franchise as more than simply another series of action movies.

Across more than two decades, the actor and producer has repeatedly emphasized themes of family, loyalty and legacy, both within the films and in his public comments about the series.

His emotional reaction to Fast Forever therefore carries particular significance for longtime fans.

If the movie does represent a major ending for Dominic Toretto and the characters who have surrounded him throughout the franchise, Diesel has more than 25 years of history connected to the material.

Earlier this year, he announced that the movie would arrive in March 2028.

The project had originally been expected to move ahead much sooner following the release of Fast X in 2023, but development experienced delays.

Those delays have created an unusually long wait after the cliffhanger ending of the previous film.

Fast X Left Several Major Questions Unanswered

Released in 2023, Fast X earned approximately $714 million worldwide.

The movie introduced Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes as a major new antagonist seeking revenge against Dom and his family.

Rather than giving audiences a traditional conclusion, the film ended with multiple characters facing unresolved dangers.

The story was then expanded further through its post-credit scenes.

One of the biggest surprises was the return of Gal Gadot as Gisele Yashar, a character whose fate had previously appeared settled much earlier in the series.

Another post-credit sequence brought Dwayne Johnson back as Luke Hobbs, signaling that his character could once again become directly involved in the franchise’s central storyline.

Those developments gave Fast Forever a significant amount of narrative ground to cover.

The film is expected to address the consequences of Fast X while potentially reuniting several characters from different eras of the franchise.

Michael Lesslie Took Over the Screenplay

Screenwriter Michael Lesslie was announced as the writer of Fast Forever in March 2026.

According to sources cited by Variety, Lesslie rewrote an earlier screenplay from Aaron Rabin and Zach Dean.

Dean had already been involved in developing the story for Fast X, giving the earlier version of the sequel a direct creative connection to that film.

Lesslie brings extensive experience working on major studio properties.

His credits include The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the video game adaptation Assassin’s Creed and Now You See Me: Now You Don’t.

He is also credited on Sunrise on the Reaping, which is scheduled to reach theaters on Nov. 20.

Diesel’s description of Lesslie’s Fast Forever screenplay as the best script he has read “in decades” is particularly notable considering the number of movies the actor has made during his career.

Whether that enthusiasm translates directly into the finished film will become clearer as production develops.

The Franchise Has Evolved Dramatically Since 2001

When The Fast and the Furious arrived in theaters in 2001, its story centered largely on underground street racing and a police investigation involving Dom Toretto and Brian O’Conner, played by the late Paul Walker.

The franchise eventually transformed into a global action spectacle involving elaborate heists, international espionage and increasingly ambitious stunts.

Through those changes, Diesel’s Dom has remained the central figure.

The series has also expanded through sequels and spinoffs while bringing together an enormous ensemble that has included Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Johnson, Gadot and Momoa.

That history creates a complicated challenge for Fast Forever.

The movie must resolve the cliffhanger from Fast X, provide space for its large cast and deliver an ending capable of satisfying audiences who have followed the franchise for decades.

What Does ‘There Will Be an Ending’ Mean?

Leterrier’s statement that “there will be an ending” will inevitably attract attention from fans wondering exactly how final Fast Forever will be.

The movie has frequently been discussed as a concluding chapter for the central Fast & Furious storyline, but the franchise has become large enough that individual characters or spinoffs could potentially continue beyond the main saga.

For now, neither Leterrier nor Diesel has revealed precisely how the story ends.

That secrecy may be especially important considering how many surprises Fast X saved for its closing moments.

What is clear is that the filmmakers understand the expectations surrounding the project.

After more than two decades of cars, impossible missions, unexpected returns and repeated declarations about family, audiences are expecting something substantial from the next installment.

And according to Diesel, the screenplay already delivers emotionally.

The director may not have read the latest version yet, but Leterrier is confident about at least one thing:

“There will be an ending, and it’s great.”

Fast Forever is currently scheduled to hit theaters on March 17, 2028.