Justin Lin Discussed Final Arc of Fast Saga With Paul Walker Decade Ago

Fast Saga or The Fast and The Furious franchise is nearing its end after more than two decades with a two-part tenth installment which will feature a majority of the previous films’ cast reunite. The final films, going on a back-to-back shoot, will begin production this year with a story that will help culminate multiple character arcs and plot points addressed in the later films of the franchise. Though it would be some time before we see director Justin Lin shape his vision for the finale of Fast Saga, he himself had an idea to end the series for a long time, something he also discussed with late actor Paul Walker in 2008.

Justin Lin first directed The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and later on went on to direct the next three films as well, which all eventually turned out to be a prequel trilogy to Tokyo Drift. He later stepped down for Furious 7 with James Wan replacing him, whereas F. Gary Gray took over directorial duties for The Fate of the Furious. Lin only returned to direct F9 (2021), which would shape the plot for the final part of the series.

Though it seems Lin has come a long way with the franchise; however, he has actually been thinking about the end of the lasting story arc for more than a decade. While talking to Insider, Lin revealed how he once discussed the ending of Fast Saga with the late actor Paul Walker in 2008, during the production of Fast & Furious.

[Even] with Paul, back in 2008, we started, I think it was over dinner, I think it was over dinner in Mexico, he had brought up, 'Well, what would be the final film?' And, we would talk.

Lin also tossed around an idea of a short film that would have starred Walker’s Brian O’Connor, which Lin devised as a comedy short.

At one point, we were gonna make a short film and it was going to be a comedy; Fast 68' and it was going to be Brian O'Connor with the walker. It was this whole joke. We had the whole thing.

Also, Lin reminisced on the whole idea of bringing the franchise to an end and how Walker was significant to the franchise all along when he first started to give this ever-growing series a culminating aspect. Lin said he now wants to do justice to Walker’s legacy and contribution to the Fast and Furious.

Now sitting here talking to you, I think when Vin finally... said, 'Let's do it,' I felt like, 'Wow.'; And, when we started, Paul was a big part of that conversation and so I really wanted to hopefully do justice to that.

Since Tokyo Drift, Lin successfully revitalized the franchise, from a street-racing film series expanded into a blend of genre, which has since introduced elements of science-fiction, while at the same time going more intricate and surreal with stunts and production scale. And Paul Walker was able to witness this transition to a large extent firsthand. Walker along with Diesel had been co-leads of the franchise for a long time, up until Furious 7, during the production of which, Walker passed away in a single-vehicle crash in 2013. The actor’s character, Brian, was eventually retired instead of being recast and has since maintained a presence in conversations and in the legacy of the story. Now that the film franchise is about to end.

The yet-untitled last and tenth installment of the Fast Sagawill be released in a two-part feature currently slated to release in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

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