On Tuesday, the 54-year-old actor shared a video to his
Instagram page in which he was seen with the 90-year-old Hollywood legend and
his longtime Fast & Furious franchise co-star Michelle Rodriguez, 42.
'It's been my dream forever to work with Rita Moreno and the
fact that she's here, playing my grandmother, makes my soul smile. I'm so
blessed,' Diesel said in the video.
The EGOT winner joked, 'I think my old age was waiting for
you to invite me.'
In the video, Moreno sported a baseball cap that read 'So
far this is the OLDEST I've EVER been.'
'Isn't that nice? And
I'm here,' the West Side Story star continued.
'And the answer is, 'Yes, I'll do it.'
'And yes, not only do it — I'm tickled,' she added as
Michelle laughed in the background.
'I'm so thrilled. This is gonna be such fun,' Moreno added.
The clip concluded as Rodriguez expressed her own enthusiasm
over the casting, declaring, 'Rita Moreno in the house, baby!'
Production on the tenth installment of the long-running
franchise began last month. The Fast & Furious franchise, which debuted in
2009, will conclude with the 11th film.
Fast X features mainstays such as Diesel, Rodriguez, Tyrese
Gibson, Sung Kang, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Charlize Theron and Nathalie
Emmanuel.
Notable additions to the cast include Jason Momoa, Brie
Larson, Daniela Melchior and Michael Rooker. Musical superstar Cardi B, who
made a brief appearance in F9, is also slated to appear in the movie.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, who played Luke Hobbs in multiple
Fast & Furious films, will not be returning to the franchise.
Johnson and Diesel have been engaged in a years-long feud,
which became public when The Rock slammed The Chronicles of Riddick star for
his on-set behavior in a scathing Instagram post.
Fast X had just begun filming when director Justin Lin
announced that he would be leaving the franchise.
At the end of last month, The New York Daily News' Richard
Johnson reported that Diesel's
'difficult' behavior on set was the reason behind Lin's abrupt departure.
A source for the publication claims: 'Diesel shows up late
to the set. He doesn’t know his lines. And he shows up out of shape.'
No doubt it was a shocking decision as Lin has been involved
with the franchise since 2006's The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift which was
the third installment in the franchise.
He will also miss out on an eight-figure payday as a veteran
producer told the Daily News: 'I’ve never
seen anything like it. Lin’s giving up $10 or $20 million.'
Earlier this month, Louis Leterrier was revealed as a
potential replacement to direct the highly-anticipated action film.
Entertainment Weekly reported that the Transporter helmer is
Universal's first choice and though talks are underway, no deal has been
reached as of yet.
Fast X is slated to arrive in theaters May 19, 2023.