Vin Diesel

Though Fast and Furious 7 seemed like an obvious, but tragic way to bring the franchise to a close, there was no way Universal Pictures was going to walk away from a franchise that was still bringing in over $350 million. So, Vin Diesel did what he does: he announced a new Fast and Furious trilogy last year that would end the franchise for good (and by “for good” we mean for a few years until they reboot it with a new cast). Fast and Furious 8 had already been scheduled for a April 14, 2017 release, but now Universal Pictures has given those last two Fast and Furious movies release dates as well.

When does Vin Diesel sleep? The actor is, as always, keeping himself pretty busy. Diesel is currently filming xXx 3: The Return of Xander Cage, while production on Fast and Furious 8 is revving up, and then he has to head into work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Today brings some…interesting…photos from the set of xXx 3, featuring Diesel, some crew members, and one of his female co-stars. And as always, Diesel wants you to know that he’s feeling #blessed.

A return to Xander Cage was one of the last things we expected from Vin Diesel, but at least he’s keeping us on our toes. xXx: The Return of Xander Cage is shaping up quite nicely, with Samuel L. Jackson, Ruby Rose and others joining Diesel for his second action-packed outing which will — as the actor teased a few days ago — include a longboard sequence, of all things. But in perhaps the most exciting move yet, martial arts pro Jet Li has officially joined the cast as a worthy opponent for Diesel.

Vin Diesel is the most prolific reporter of Vin Diesel news, and his latest social media posts offer a couple of updates on two of his big upcoming projects: Furious 8 and xXx 3. The actor has posted a new promo image for Universal’s upcoming Fast and Furious sequel, which confirms the New York setting and offers an appropriate tagline, while two other photos tease an interesting action sequence in xXx 3.

You know the Fast and Furious drill by now: fast cars, Vin Diesel, bromance, fast cars, insane chases and stunts, fast cars, internationally wanted criminal in the mix, rinse, repeat. Even then, each Fast and Furious movie has — mostly — tried to do something a little different, whether that’s in upping the stunt ante or taking the action to exotic new locations, or giving Dwayne Johnson a giant military-grade helicopter machine gun. Accordingly, Furious 8 director F. Gary Gray is looking to keep things fresh in the upcoming sequel, and he has no intention of disappointing the Fast and Furious fanbase.

In what must take the prize for Most Misleading Headline of this still-young year, Nina Dobrev (of The Vampire Diaries fame) and Ruby Rose (of Orange Is the New Black fame and worldwide lesbian idol-worship) have entered talks to shoot a new xXx movie with Vin Diesel...

We don’t know a whole lot about Furious 8 — Straight Outta Compton’s F. Gary Gray is directing and Vin Diesel is obviously returning, and…okay, a director and Vin Diesel is all you really need to put a movie together, even if Diesel has to play every role himself (and he would, too). Today brings a quick update on the upcoming sequel, as Gray is reportedly eyeing a few international filming locations, aka a few places that will look pretty cool when Diesel and the Furious crew race and jump and explode their cars all over the landscape.

Back in November, Vin Diesel announced both a new Riddick movie and potential Merc City tie-in TV series in the most Vin Diesel way possible: saying literally anything over social media, and having it so. Welp, consider a small-screen Riddick a reality, as Diesel’s new development deal with Universal TV confirms a series going to market.

Bless Vin Diesel and his commitment to being Vin Diesel. While the Riddick franchise isn’t nearly as successful as Fast and Furious, it definitely has a sizable fan base — enough to warrant another installment in the franchise, as Diesel promised last year. The actor has announced that not only are we getting another Riddick movie, but there will be a spinoff TV series, too.

The Wikipedia page listing Fast and Furious characters runs 66 entries. There are ten main characters, like Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto and the late Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner, on down through the various supporting characters, villains, and cops who have chased Dom and Brian’s crew of honorable thieves all over the globe through seven increasingly crazy and increasingly awesome entries.