The next Fast and Furious movie has officially cast Rita Moreno as Dom’s grandmother. Vin Diesel, who plays Dom, announced Moreno’s casting in a video with Moreno and Michelle Rodriguez on social media.
Diesel said in the video that it has been “my dream forever” to work with Moreno, an EGOT winner who starred in West Side Story. He said it “makes my soul smile” to collaborate with Moreno for Fast X.
As for Moreno, she quipped in the video, “I’m so thrilled. It’s going to be such fun!”
Moreno’s casting in Fast X isn’t a total surprise, as Diesel told Variety in 2021 that he wanted her to play his grandmother, with Moreno replying that it was a “fabulous idea.” F9 shed some further light on the Toretto family, as John Cena joined the franchise to play Dom’s brother Jakob.
As for Moreno, she recently appeared in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story as Valentina. She played Anita in the 1961 film, for which she won Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
In addition to series regulars like Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, and Sung Kang, Fast X will feature Brie Larson and Jason Momoa, as well as The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior. Director Justin Lin has dropped out, and Universal is now reportedly spending as much as $1 million per day to find a replacement. The movie is slated to hit theaters in May 2023.
The latest film, F9, made $726 million during the pandemic.
