Fast And The Furious X Might Already Be In Big Trouble
Since 2001, the "Fast & Furious" franchise has become a blockbuster staple in pop culture. Throughout nine films, the series cultivated a dedicated and expansive fan base and featured some of the industry's biggest stars — including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Charlize Theron, and more. Back in 2020, fans were met with bittersweet news after it was announced that the beloved franchise would be coming to an end.
Back in October 2020, Deadline reported Universal green-lit two additional films, with the 11th project being the franchise's last. Luckily, the legendary cast and longtime director Justin Lin were also confirmed to return for the last hurrah. In September 2021, Lin sat down with Collider and gave fans a sneak peek into the final two entries. "There's an ambition of what we want to do, and there's also real-world issues, you know, that we're encountering," he revealed. "I don't want to be greedy. I want to do what's best for the process, and the idea of the last chapter being two films is correct."
On April 20, production on the 10th film officially began, which Vin Diesel confirmed via a video on Instagram. In the post, the "xXx" actor is seen asking Lin if "Fast X" will be the best out of the franchise, to which the director replied, "In my heart, yes." However, five days after Diesel uploaded the video, Lin announced some surprising news regarding his involvement in the forthcoming project.
Justin Lin departs from the upcoming Fast X film
Toward the end of April, fans were ecstatic to find out that production officially started on the highly anticipated 10th film "Fast X." Unfortunately, that excitement was short-lived after director Justin Lin announced he would be stepping down. "With the support of Universal, I have made the difficult decision to step back as director of FAST X, while remaining with the project as a producer," he wrote via The Fast Saga's social media channels. Lin then reflected on his impactful time directing five of the nine films before quickly highlighting the franchise's diversity. "I will forever be grateful to the amazing cast, crew and studio for their support and for welcoming me into the FAST family," he concluded.
Even though Lin refrained from spilling the reason for his departure as director, sources told Deadline that it was due to not seeing eye-to-eye on the artistic vision. The aforementioned sources also told the publication that due to the shakeup, production would be put on a short hiatus while a replacement is selected.
Lin's departure comes a few weeks after several casting announcements were announced for the upcoming film. On April 9, Vin Diesel revealed that "Captain Marvel" actor Brie Larson would be joining the "Fast" family. "You have no idea how timeless and amazing she will be in our mythology," he wrote on Instagram. A few months before Larson's casting reveal, "Justice League" star Jason Momoa was announced as the new villain of the long-running franchise.