The Fast and the Furious Takes Over Cannes: A High-Octane Midnight Screening of the classic film that launched a global franchise, on the Croisette |
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The 79th Festival de Cannes is set to host a high-speed cinematic event as The Fast and the Furious, the 2001 film that launched a worldwide cultural phenomenon, tears up the Croisette in spectacular fashion. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of a franchise that has conquered the globe and has left an indelible mark on cinema history, the Grand Théâtre Lumière will resonate with the unmistakable roar of engines on Wednesday, May 13 at 11.45pm. |
On June 22, 2001, Universal Pictures released The Fast and the Furious, a high-octane thriller set amid the street-racing culture of Los Angeles. The film—produced by Neal H. Mortiz, directed by Rob Cohen, and starring Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto, Paul Walker as Brian O’Conner, Jordana Brewster as Mia and Michelle Rodriguez as Letty—would become a cinema-changing global sensation. On Wednesday, May 13, at the Grand Lumière Theatre of the Palais des Festivals, the Festival de Cannes, this exceptional Midnight Screening will be attended by stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, producer Neal H. Mortiz, and Meadow Walker, the daughter of the film’s late star Paul Walker.
Over the course of eleven films that have stoked passion in an ever-expanding audience and have earned more than $7 billion U.S. at the worldwide box office, Universal’s record-smashing, homegrown Fast & Furious Saga has become the studio’s most-profitable and longest-running franchise. Featuring one the most thrilling and diverse casts of any major studio film series, the films’ core actors include Tyrese Gibson as Roman, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges as Tej, Sung Kang as Han, and Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey.
This year, Universal announced that a thrilling new chapter—Fast Forever—will race into theatres March 17, 2028. |
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Originally focused on street racing competitions, the franchise has continuously reinvented itself, featuring 25 years of mind-blowing, turbocharged car chases and increasingly insane stunts in exotic locations across the globe. Above all, the film series has endured and thrived because of the deep, familial bond between these unforgettable characters, and the connection between those characters and a devoted global audience of fans. Over the decades, the cast has expanded to include some of the most famous and acclaimed actors of their time, including Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, Jason Statham, Eva Mendes, John Cena, Kurt Russell, Jason Momoa, and Academy Award® winners Helen Mirren, Brie Larson and Charlize Theron.
Reaching beyond cinema, The Fast Saga has become a true pop-culture phenomenon. Its longevity has spawned an ever-expanding universe including toys, video games, an animated series and the hit spin-off title Hobbs & Shaw. |
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79th Festival de Cannes From May 12 to May 23, 2026 |
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