Content Advisory: This article discusses grief, death, and an emotional tribute to late actor Paul Walker. Reader discretion is advised.
Vin Diesel broke down at Cannes as ‘The Fast And The Furious’ returned to the big screen for a special midnight screening. The 2001 street-racing movie screened at the Grand Lumiere Theatre during the Cannes Film Festival, 25 years after it first introduced audiences to Dominic Toretto, Brian O’Conner, and the franchise’s now-famous idea of chosen family.
For Diesel, the night was not just about nostalgia. It was about Paul Walker. As the credits rolled, Diesel grew emotional while remembering his late co-star, who died in 2013. He paused to compose himself before speaking to the sold-out crowd. “I pray that in your life, you can have a brother like Paul,” Diesel said.
Vin Diesel Cries Remembering Paul Walker
Diesel was joined by fellow ‘Fast’ stars Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez, as well as Walker’s daughter, Meadow Walker. The group became visibly emotional as the audience gave them a four-minute standing ovation.
Diesel said watching the film now feels completely different. “It’s so hard for me to watch it because there’s so many moments in this movie that you see, that I see differently,” he said. “The scene that you see, I see the moment Pablo told me he had a one-year-old daughter.” Diesel often called Walker “Pablo,” and the name made the moment hit harder.
He later pulled Meadow into a hug and shared something she had told him earlier in the day. “She said, ‘I’m 27, and I’m watching this film that my father made at 27,’ and I thought, ‘How profound,’” Diesel said. “Meadow has been such a source of strength, and I know he’d be so proud of you.”
Cannes Turns ‘Fast’ Into A Classic
Diesel also reflected on what it meant to bring the film to Cannes.
He recalled Cannes director Thierry Frémaux telling him that he first came to the festival 31 years ago with his short film ‘Multi-Facial’, carrying a laundry bag as a suitcase. “You said, ‘The reason why it’s so special that you’re here now is because, in my mind, you, Vin, were born in Cannes,’” Diesel told him. The actor wore a diamond-covered blazer with the ‘Fast Forever’ logo on the back, nodding to the planned final film in the franchise.
‘The Fast And The Furious’ was released on June 22, 2001, and grossed $207 million worldwide on a reported $38 million budget. The franchise has since grown into Universal’s longest-running and most profitable movie series, with 11 feature films, including ‘Hobbs & Shaw’, and more than $7 billion at the global box office.
The final chapter, ‘Fast Forever’, is expected to arrive in theaters on March 17, 2028. Diesel told the Cannes crowd that fans are the reason the finale is happening. “You make us have to continue,” he said. “You make us want to make you all proud.” Then he summed up the entire franchise in one word: love.
