Vin Diesel once rejected the first "Fast and Furious" sequel

Believe it or not, there was a time when Vin Diesel rejected the idea of a "Fast and Furious" sequel.

No. 8 in the series, "Fate of the Furious," is currently tearing up the box office with an international total approaching $1 billion, but back in the day, he thought the original should stand alone.

"Back in the 80s and 90s if you sequelized a movie you lost every chance of it being a classic, or being something special," he said during a visit to the Ellen show. "I turned down the first two attempts for a sequel."

Clearly that third attempt was the charm. "Fast 8," as it's known in hashtag lingo, was filmed largely in Atlanta. The fifth and seventh movies also were filmed here and with No. 9 through 11 already reportedly on the boards, we may be seeing more of the "Fast" cast around town.

MORE: The 8 things we learned at the "Fast 8" red carpet screening

"People think of the explosions and submarines" and other high-octane action scenes, he said, "but the core it’s all love. That’s what makes 'Fast and Furious' what it is."

Here's a clip of their visit: