'Fast & Furious' spin-offs in the works

The makers of the "Fast & Furious" franchise are looking at creating spin-offs and prequels for the car-racing series. Development is still in the early stages, but actor Vin Diesel says executives are highly interested in extending the action franchise beyond its seven movies.

"We've written out story lines for various characters. We've been playing with it for a long time. It's a very rich property and we're committed to treating it with a lot of class," Diesel told variety.com.

Diesel did not say which characters would get their own standalone films, but in the past, Dwayne Johnson has hinted that he'd like to see his character, Diplomatic Security Service agent Luke Hobbs, branch out into independent adventures.

Universal Pictures Chairman Donna Langley confirmed that talks were taking place about ways to broaden the series' reach.

"We're certainly in conversations about how we can expand the franchise now. It's an ensemble cast and there's room to bring characters in and out," said Langley.