'Fast & Furious' franchise to conclude with 11th instalment

Fan-favourite film franchise "Fast & Furious" to conclude after the 11th instalment. Director Justin Lin will helm the final two instalments.

The first film in the franchise starring the late Paul Walker as an undercover cop was released in 2001. The "Fast Saga" which was planned as a trilogy of films became an instant hit and continued to expand. Now, after 20 years, the franchise is confirmed to be coming to an end after the final 10th and 11th instalments are released back to back.

The news was confirmed by Deadline. As per the report, Justin Lin, who has directed third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth "F&F" movies, is in talks for the concluding sequels as well. Meanwhile, the ninth instalment titled "F9" is currently in post-production and scheduled to release on May 28, 2021.

The film starring Vin Diesel, John Cena, Michelle Rodriguez, and others was originally planned to release in 2020. The delay in the release is caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The film follows up on the events of the 2017's "The Fate of the Furious" during which Dominic Toretto and his team come face to face with his younger brother Jakob (John Cena), a dangerous assassin. The plot brings back Dominic's old enemy Cipher.

As for the final two instalments, there is not much known about the plot. The publication suggests that there might be "a big story over two films that will focus on franchise patriarch Vin Diesel and bring back Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Sung Kang." At the same time, the biggest question remains that will Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, who became core cast members of F6, F7, "The Fate of the Furious" and franchise's spinoff "Hobbs & Shaw," return for the finale.

For fans of the "F&F" franchise, the news may come as a shocker. However, they need not be disappointed because some spinoff versions of the franchise are in the works. In 2019, producer Hiram Garcia, and in 2020, Dwayne Johnson have confirmed a "Hobbs & Shaw" sequel. It was later announced that Chris Morgan was recruited as the screenwriter for the movie.