The original cast of "Fast & Furious" gathered on the French Riviera on Wednesday for a special midnight screening as part of the 79th Cannes Film Festival – marking the 25th anniversary of the street-racing saga that took over screens a quarter of a century ago.

Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster together again

Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster reunited at the grand Lumière Theater of the Palais des Festivals for a celebratory screening in honor of the 2001 film "The Fast and the Furious".

They were joined by producer Neal H. Moritz, as well as – in a moment that deeply moved fans – Meadow Walker, the 27-year-old daughter of the late Paul Walker.

A tribute to Paul Walker

Paul Walker, who played the role of undercover agent Brian O'Conner in the original film and in several of the sequels, died in a car accident in November 2013 at the age of 40.

Meadow's presence at the Cannes festival was seen as a powerful gesture of respect for his enduring legacy in the franchise. She posed alongside Vin Diesel and the other actors during a photocall earlier in the day, before the evening screening.

The reunion comes at a time when the saga continues to evolve: the eleventh film in the series, titled "Fast Forever", is scheduled for release on March 17, 2028.

Cannes opens its doors to the blockbuster franchise

Festival organizers announced the midnight screening on May 6, presenting it as a spectacular addition to a program that is traditionally focused on auteur cinema.

This is not the first flirtation between the series and Cannes – in 2021, "Fast & Furious 9" was shown as part of a special screening at the festival.

According to "The Washington Post", the inclusion of "Fast & Furious" in the program is intended in part to fill a gap in this year's selection, bringing the energy of a blockbuster to the festival on the Croisette, alongside contenders for the "Palme d'Or".

The 79th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 12 to 23, and the jury president is the South Korean director Park Chan-wook.

From street races in Los Angeles to the red carpet in Cannes

What began in 2001 as a relatively modest action film about illegal street racing in Los Angeles has gradually turned into one of the most profitable franchises in Hollywood.

Over 25 years, the series has expanded to ten films and brought in billions of dollars at the global box office, and its characters have become part of pop culture.

The tribute paid in Cannes symbolically underscores the path that "Fast & Furious" has traveled – from a modest story about tuned cars to a production that takes its place on one of the most prestigious stages in world cinema.