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Fast & Furious 25th Anniversary Screening at Cannes Features Vin Diesel, Meadow Walker and Original Cast
Vin Diesel, 58, cried during a speech honoring his late co-star Paul Walker before a midnight screening of the original "Fast and Furious" film at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. He hugged Meadow Walker, Paul's 27-year-old daughter, and was joined by Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez and producer Neal Moritz.
May 14, 11:01 AM·2m read3 sources
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Vin Diesel cried through an emotional speech about his late co-star Paul Walker before a midnight screening marking the 25th anniversary of "The Fast and the Furious" at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday. The 58-year-old actor addressed the audience inside the Grand Lumiere Theatre, where he was joined by Meadow Walker, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez and producer Neal Moritz.
Diesel hugged Meadow Walker during the remarks and told the crowd he prayed that in their lives they would have a brother like Paul.
He referred to Walker as Pablo and as his brother, adding that the person who would not let him come alone to represent that brotherhood was Meadow Walker. "I’m gonna go and shed a tear real quick," Diesel said. He admitted it is "hard" to watch the 2001 film because of the memories he has of Paul Walker.
"There’s so many moments in this movie that you see, that I see differently. The scene that you see, I see the moment Pablo told me he had a 1-year-old daughter," he said. Meadow Walker, who considers Vin Diesel her godfather, was 15 years old when her father died.
Paul Walker welcomed Meadow with ex Rebecca Soteros. " Paul Walker played Brian O’Conner in six "Fast & Furious" movies before he died in a car accident in November 2013 at age 40. In 2015’s "Fast & Furious 7," producers used CGI, doubles and Paul Walker’s brothers Caleb and Cody as stand-ins to complete his character’s arc.
Meadow Walker is now 27. Diesel told the crowd at the screening that the only reason the franchise is making the finale for 2028 is because of the fans’ hearts and loyalty. The 11th and final "Fast & Furious" film is titled "Fast Forever" and is set for release in 2028.
"This is a film where brotherhood was introduced to our millennium, by myself and my brother Pablo," Diesel said. The screening brought together the original cast members and family to honor both the milestone and the enduring impact of Paul Walker’s legacy in the franchise.
