Vin Diesel misses Paul Walker at ‘The Fast and the Furious' Cannes screening

Vin Diesel was in tears at Cannes on Wednesday night, and nobody in the room could blame him.

The actor joined co-stars Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez, as well as Paul Walker's daughter Meadow, 27, for a special midnight screening of the original The Fast and the Furious as part of the festival's classics segment. 

When the credits rolled on the 2001 film, all four were visibly emotional. The sold-out crowd responded with an extended standing ovation.

Before the lights went down, Diesel took the microphone from the middle of the packed theatre to address the audience, and delivered one of the more memorable speeches Cannes has seen in recent years. 

He expressed his gratitude to festival director Thierry Frémaux, recalling a conversation the two had shared over lunch earlier that day. 

"You said to me, 'Vin, you came here 31 years ago as a director, writer and actor of a short film. When you came, you had a laundry bag as a suitcase. No one in the world knew you,'" Diesel told the crowd. 

"'The reason why it's so special that you're here now is because, in my mind, you, Vin, were born in Cannes.'"

The audience was clearly with him every step of the way, shouting "we love you" and breaking into repeated rounds of applause and laughter. 

At one point, with characteristic self-awareness, Diesel acknowledged he'd been on the mic a while, quipping: "F--k the film. I'm only here once in my whole life."

He saved his most heartfelt words for last, calling out Meadow Walker by name and making clear what the evening meant to him without his late co-star and friend present. 

"This is a film where brotherhood was introduced to our millennium, by myself and my brother Pablo," he said. 

"And the person that was not going to let me come alone here to represent that brotherhood is Meadow Walker. I'm gonna go and shed a tear real quick, but I just want you all to know, the only reason why we're making the finale of Fast for 2028 is because of each and every one of you that has given us your hearts and your loyalty. 

Each and every one of you that has felt like you were a part of our family, you make us have to continue. You make us want to make you all proud. What you're gonna watch tonight is the beginning of one word, and that word is love. I love you all."

It was a fitting tribute to a franchise that has defied every expectation placed on it. 

What started as a relatively modest street racing film, made for a reported $38 million and directed by Rob Cohen from a script co-written by David Ayer, went on to become one of Hollywood's most lucrative properties, earning more than $7 billion worldwide across 11 films over 25 years. 

Two of those instalments, Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious, crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office.

The saga is now heading for its finale. 

Fast Forever, directed by Louis Leterrier with a screenplay by Michael Lesslie, is set for release on 17 March 2028. 

For Diesel, Wednesday night was both a homecoming and a goodbye of sorts, a chance to sit with where it all began, and who he began it with.