A quarter-century after it first raced into theaters, The Fast and the Furious received the Cannes treatment. Vin Diesel introduced the 2001 film during a special midnight screening at the Cannes Film Festival, celebrating its 25th anniversary and reflecting on the franchise’s unlikely journey from street-racing thriller to global blockbuster phenomenon.

“You are calling a film we did 25 years ago, a classic. How profound is that,” Diesel said at the Cannes Film Festival.

The actor’s comments quickly resonated online as fans celebrated the franchise earning recognition on one of cinema’s most prestigious stages.

The anniversary event also turned into a mini reunion for the Fast & Furious family. Diesel was joined on the red carpet and photocall by Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, producer Neal H. Moritz, and Meadow Walker. Their appearance added another emotional layer to the celebration, especially for longtime fans who have followed the franchise since its earliest days.

What started with Dominic Toretto, Brian O’Conner, and a simple quarter-mile race has since evolved into one of Hollywood’s biggest action franchises, spanning multiple sequels, spin-offs, and more than $7 billion at the global box office. Cannes honoring the original film as a “classic” marked a full-circle moment for a saga built on fast cars, family, and increasingly outrageous action set pieces.

As nostalgia surrounding the original film continues growing, the franchise is already preparing for its future beyond the big screen.

Fast & Furious TV series officially heads to Peacock

While Fast Forever, the eleventh and reportedly final Fast & Furious movie, is still set for release in 2028, Vin Diesel recently revealed that the franchise is expanding into television. During NBCUniversal’s upfront presentation, the actor confirmed that a new Fast & Furious TV series is officially in development for Peacock.

“For the last decade, we have realized that the fans have wanted more. They wanted us to expand the legacy characters, their stories. And for the last decade, the desire has been for us to enter the TV space . . . And I had to wait ’til it was right,” Diesel said during the NBCUniversal upfront presentation.

The upcoming series currently does not have a title or release date, but several longtime franchise collaborators are already attached. Diesel and Samantha Vincent will executive produce alongside Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Jeff Kirschenbaum, and Chris Morgan. Shades of Blue collaborators Mike Daniels and Wolfe Coleman are also onboard as co-showrunners.

The announcement signals that Universal plans to keep the Fast & Furious universe alive even after the main film saga concludes, giving fans even more stories centered around the franchise’s beloved characters and extended mythology.

With Cannes celebrating the franchise’s past and Peacock preparing for its future, Fast & Furious continues proving that its legacy is far from over.

Do you think The Fast and the Furious truly deserves its new “classic” status after 25 years? Let us know in the comments!

Written by

Karishma Dasgupta

Edited by

Aliza Siddiqui