'F9' is the beginning of the final chapter of 'Fast & Furious' saga, says director

With another trailer for F9: The Fast Saga dropping more than a year after the film was supposed to release, the director of the blockbuster franchise Justin Lin has said that the ninth installment sets the stage for the final chapter in the saga.

Talking to Variety, Lin discussed the creative process behind the high-speed action films, his vision for F9, and his decision to keep the character of Paul Walker alive in the franchise after the actor tragically passed away in a car accident.

“When we talk about Fast 9, this is the first time for me creatively approaching it not as just the one film. In the past, I’ve always felt like, we’re lucky enough to do one, let’s do everything we can,” said Lin, adding, that Vin Diesel talked him into continuing. “You know, when I came back, he’s like, “Well, let’s think about it as a final chapter.”

Lin went on to share that Fast 9 is therefore the beginning of the final chapter for him, and will serve as a launch-pad for the tenth and eleventh films in the franchise; the final two films will be a two-part cinematic experience reminiscent of the Avengers Infinity War and Endgame.

The director also shared that “Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) obviously is a big part of the universe still,” and that fans will “feel the presence of Brian” in F9, for sure.

Sharing how the team manages to think of and bring alive on-screen some seriously physics-defying action sequences, Lin said, ” I think if you came and hung out with us, it literally is, you know, I and my team and we’re playing with cars.”

He also shared a fun anecdote from when he brought his son out to one of his meetings in London and he said, “Wait, you just go to work and you hang out with your friends and play with toy cars?”

“It’s great to talk character and we keep playing and then once the character beats are captured, then the hard work begins…” he said, explaining how they take it from there and scan the right environment, choose the right lenses, and camera moves and so on.

“I have all that designed, and then I go to the stunt crew, and then they bring back the [toy] cars so that they can translate it into their language.”

Sounds incredibly exciting to us, especially as fans of the franchise!

Lin has previously third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth Fast and Furious films.

F9 stars franchise regulars Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, and Tyrese Gibson as well as Jordana Brewster, Lucas Black, Charlize Theron, Sung Kang, and WWE star wrestler John Cena.

Watch the latest trailer for the Fast 9 film below: