‘Fast & Furious 9’ Director Justin Lin Says ‘Fast Five’ Was Inspired By ‘The Golden Girls’

Inspiration can come the unlikeliest sources. Just ask “Fast & Furious 9” (aka “F9”) director Justin Lin.

Lin, who first joined the Fast Saga when he directed 2006’s “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” recently revealed that 2011’s “Fast Five” was inspired by, wait for it … “The Golden Girls.”

RELATED: Vin Diesel Claims The Dom And Letty Relationship In ‘Fast And Furious’ Is ‘Potentially The Biggest Love Story’ On-Screen

“‘The Golden Girls’ are part of the ‘Fast’ lore because when I was a kid I loved ‘Golden Girls,’” Lin told Entertainment Weekly‘s “BINGE: The Fast Saga” podcast while sipping from a Betty White mug. “Saturday nights, it was ‘Golden Girls,’ ‘Empty Nest,’ and then there was [‘Nurses’].”

#TheFastSaga director @JustinLin reveals how #TheGoldenGirls inspired #FastFive!

Watch the full ‘#EWBinge: @TheFastSaga’ episode: https://t.co/Yf0mb8YZ3u pic.twitter.com/V9ofMxCQl0

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) May 24, 2021

“They had this thing called Hurricane Saturday night, all three episodes got hit by a hurricane,” he added. “That was the first time where I was like, ‘Oh, they all exist in the same universe.’ That was the inspiration for Fast Five. We brought back all the characters, they all existed in the same universe. That’s the ‘Golden Girls’ connection.”

RELATED: Michelle Rodriguez To Host ‘Fast & Furious’ Inspired Reality Competition ‘Getaway Driver’

Lin also has a special “Golden Girls” crossover in mind for the final two movIes in the franchise: bringing in Betty White to star.

Here’s hoping Betty White’s agent is reading this.