Fast X – Part 2, the planned conclusion to the mainline Fast & Furious saga, has been stuck in development hell for a long time. Things seemingly haven’t improved much since the project was first bandied about. Earlier this month, reports indicated that Fast X – Part 2 was in danger of not happening at all, as Universal executives have concerns about the project’s proposed budget. The film apparently won’t get the green light unless the creative team finds a way to trim production costs down to around $200 million. This, combined with the news that there still isn’t a finished Fast X – Part 2 script, painted an uncertain picture of Fast & Furious’ future, but franchise star Vin Diesel is going out of his way to calm the waters.
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On Instagram, Diesel shared photos and a video of his meeting with Michael Moses, the chief marketing officer at Universal. In the images, Diesel is seen wearing a shirt that reads “Fast X Part 2 Los Angeles Production 2025,” while the video has encouraging words straight from Moses. “I’m drifting with Dom Toretto, planning everything, we got it solved,” he said as he and Diesel cruised around the studio lot in a kart. Check out Diesel’s post in the space below:
Vin Diesel & Universal Remain Committed to Making Fast X – Part 2 Happen
Fans are still awaiting confirmation of a production start date or a release date, but it’s encouraging to see Diesel actively meeting with at least one Universal exec. It’s a sign that all parties involved are still interested in coming to an agreement and getting Fast X – Part 2 off the ground. The report detailing the behind-the-scenes issues suggested things might have been quite tumultuous, hinting there was a sizable gap between the filmmakers and the studio. But cancelling Fast X – Part 2 outright always seemed like the worst-case scenario. While the franchise has arguably lost some of its luster over the last several years, it remains one of Universal’s premier tentpoles. There’s too much money at stake to just scrap the finale entirely.
Diesel’s shirt implies he still remains hopeful that Fast X – Part 2 can begin shooting at some point this year. That may not be a realistic goal, as time is running out to get cameras rolling before the end of 2025. Universal still needs to sign off on a script before filming begins, and there are still some hurdles to clear even with Diesel and Moses meeting. The most recently reported production budget for Fast X – Part 2 is $250 million, so there’s still around $50 million to be trimmed off before the studio is comfortable moving forward. Right now, the creative team is weighing various options to save money, including limiting the number of locations and reducing roles for some cast members. Diesel didn’t share any details about his conversations with Moses, so it remains to be seen how much headway has been made on these matters.
Though Moses promises fans “we got it solved,” there realistically could be a lot more work to be done on Fast X – Part 2. This might have been just one meeting Diesel has with Universal brass, and there’s no telling how those conversations will go. At one point in the film’s development, Diesel suggested that conflicting studio demands were holding the project back. This was when Universal was pushing for a 2026 release date (to coincide with Fast & Furious’ 25th anniversary) and Comcast, Universal’s parent company, was allegedly interested in making a two-part series finale. Things might have changed since then, but one meeting with Moses may not be enough to get things sorted. The screenwriters still need to implement suggested tweaks and changes to get a script approved. The screenplay could need to go through multiple drafts before Universal signs off on it.
Assuming Diesel’s discussions with Moses were productive, hopefully the pieces start falling into place quickly. Universal would certainly prefer to get the film out sooner rather than later, but the studio’s insistence on the budget makes sense given changing moviegoing habits and Fast & Furious’ most recent performance at the box office. Hitting that once-planned 2026 premiere window is an unrealistic goal now, so it’d be better to not delay the film any further.
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