Jordana Brewster The legacy of ‘Fast & Furious’ was reflected when the franchise arrived at the Cannes Film Festival for a special 25th anniversary farewell. The actress, who plays Mia Toretto, said she was “very validating” and “a little bittersweet” as they prepared to get together. Vin DieselMichelle Rodriguez, producer Neal H. Moritz and Meadow Walker, daughter of the late Paul Walkerfor the midnight screening of ‘The Fast and the Furious’.
Jordana Brewster at the Fast and Furious Cannes tribute
Speaking to Variety at Cannes, Brewster said the festival’s tribute brought deep emotion that Meadow Walker would replace her father, who died in 2013. “I was reading the route and realized that Meadow was replacing Paul,” Brewster said. “That will be beautiful.”The Cannes event was Diesel’s idea. He had wanted to bring the franchise to the French Riviera for years and finally succeeded in June for the film’s 25th anniversary. Brewster said revisiting the 2001 film made him nostalgic and showed him why the story resonates.“The first time it was so beautiful that every character was fleshed out,” he said. “It’s really hard to do in a set piece, and I think that’s what allows for its longevity. Each person relates to a different character.”Brewster also joked that the only dated part was “removing the car trucks for TV-DVD players.”
Fast Forever and Paul Walker Tribute
Brewster said Mia remains the moral center of the franchise. “It’s grounded. That’s a really important element to have in the franchise because things can flip in all directions,” he said.Diesel recently revealed at the launch of NBCUniversal in New York that ‘Fast Forever’, the 11th and expected final film, will be released in March 2028. He also announced a new ‘Fast & Furious’ TV show for Peacock.“Over the last decade we’ve realized that fans want more,” said Diesel. “The legacy characters, their stories… they wanted to expand, and I had to wait until it was okay.”Brewster said she would enjoy a show that follows Mia and her children. “It would be fun to have me and my two kids, and they’re getting into all kinds of trouble, it’s almost like karma,” she said.Diesel was also credited for advocating for the return of “Fast X” after Mia was missing from an early draft. “Vin really is my brother,” she said. “He’s been so loyal to the whole franchise.”Brewster said honoring Walker in the final film remains important. Brian O’Conner hopes to feature or be remembered as part of the team’s victory, keeping his legacy at center until the end.
