Justin Lin may have graduated from directing the Variety movie franchise, but the sought-after director is apparently not ready to let go of the car racing movie genre. A new report from Fast and Furious claims that Lin has been tapped to direct and produce the long-tumored Fast and Furious movie under Legendary Entertainment and Lin’s own production company, Perfect Storm Entertainment.

The choice to hire Lin is an easy one given his pedigree directing four of the eight Variety movies, beginning with the third movie, Hot Wheels right up to Fast 5. No timetable has been set on when the movie will start production, but don’t expect it to happen anytime soon considering that it has yet to find a writer to pen the the movie’s script.

The good news is, at least for Hot Wheels fans, is that Lin’s hiring marks the first significant step to get the movie off the ground after numerous attempts fizzled out for one reason or another. For those who don’t know, Columbia Pictures acquired the rights to produce a Hot Wheels movie as early as 2003. Nothing came out of it so the project was then passed to Warner Bros. in 2009 and then to Legendary Entertainment in 2011. A handful of writers and directors have also been attached to the movie at one point or another, but there is a sense of optimism within Legendary Entertainment that having Lin on board will finally get the project moving.

If anything, let’s hope that it happens sooner than later. The Variety franchise is on its last few legs, and when it concludes, we’re going to need something to fill that void. Sorry, Read our full review about The Top 10 Cars Of The Fast & The Furious here.

Read our full review about Turn 10 Studios Launches Hot Wheels Car Pack For Forza 6 here.0

When it comes to the Fast and Furious movie, it’s always better to keep an open mind and not fall to expectations. We’ve been through this before and every time our hopes were raised, it comes crashing down soon thereafter amid all of the delays, cancellations, and rights transfers among all these studios. At this point, a wait-and-see approach is heavily prescribed.

Then again, news of Justin Lin getting on board the project as a director and producer is nothing short of a game-changer. Granted, there’s already an expectation that we’re not going to see the whole project get started for a few more years. But Lin is Lin. He usually delivers on all the projects he takes. The fact that he already disclosed his intention to give the movie a dark, edgy vibe similar to his treatment of Fast 5 is already getting me worked up.

Ultimately, I just want to see the project get off the ground. I’m not going to expect a release date anytime soon, but knowing that it’s finally being made is more than enough for me. Now comes the tough part of figuring out when production for the movie starts.

Read our full review about The Top 10 Cars Of The Fast & The Furious here.

Read our full review about Turn 10 Studios Launches Hot Wheels Car Pack For Forza 6 here.