Fast and Furious 10, now officially titled Fast X, has recently been the subject of a massive controversy between its former director Justin Lin and the studio, Universal Pictures. With Transporter director Louis Leterrier signing on as a replacement and news still breaking, Fast X seems to be on shaky ground right now. Because of the quickly emerging key details, there is a lot to know about Fast and Furious 10's director controversy.
After the release of F9, the ninth mainline entry in the incredibly successful Fast and Furious series, Fast X immediately entered production. Alongside most of the main cast, director Justin Lin was signed on to return for the tenth film. Lin has directed five movies in the Fast and Furious going all the way back to the 2006 entry The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, being the most frequent director in the franchise.
While Lin was tied to the project fairly deep into development, a settlement between Lin and Universal Studios was reached on April 25, allowing him to exit the project. These developments have been filling headlines since the news broke, so here are all the key updates and details on the Fast and Furious 10 direct controversy.
Justin Lin Exited Fast & Furious 10 Just After Filming Started
Although most directors that leave projects do it during pre-production, Justin Lin left Fast and Furious 10 during filming. Lin's exit agreement was finalized days into shooting Fast 10, with the director leaving the project in the early days of filming. Lin was not only signed on to direct Fast 10 but also Fast and Furious 11, which he exited as well, so the franchise will feel the effects of this move well into the future.
Lin's Fast & Furious 10's Script Apparently Underwent Heavy Changes
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Justin Lin was already conflicting with the studio before his exit. As reported, Lin was writing Fast X and believed that he had a final script, however, the studio wanted to make some significant changes. For one, the studio cut an already scouted location in Eastern Europe due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Furthermore, one of Fast X's villains still remained uncast, which was another source of conflict. As the conflict between Lin and Universal grew, the studio sent another writer to polish Lin's script, something Lin clearly did not appreciate.
Justin Lin's Fast 10 Exit Was Reportedly Due To Vin Diesel
While conflicts with Universal may have been a contribution to Lin's departure, new reports are claiming that Vin Diesel was the main reason Fast X's director left. According to an unnamed source, Vin Diesel's behavior contributed to Lin's frustrations. They claim that Diesel would show up to set late and not know his lines, among other annoying behaviors. Reports of Vin Diesel's poor on-set behavior are nothing new, with Dwayne Johnson criticizing his male co-star on Instagram for similar reasons. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lin's breaking point occurred in a four-person meeting with Diesel on April 23. In the meeting, it is alleged that Diesel had notes for Lin, leading to an escalating disagreement which ended with Lin saying "This movie is not worth my mental health" and slamming the door. Although both Lin and Diesel have been long-time staples of the Fast and Furious series, it seems like their disagreements were enough to make Lin leave the franchise.
Fast & Furious 10 Director Replacement Cost Universal A Lot Of Money
On top of the film's massive production budget, the search for a new director for Fast X is costing Universal tons of money. After Lin exited the project, the film's second unit remained in the U.K. to finish shooting, while the first unit waited on a new director. During this filming break, Universal is having to pay thousands of dollars a day in order to just keep the cast on set. It is estimated that Universal is spending $600,000 to $1 million a day while filming is on hold. The construction of some large set pieces has been put on hold, but Universal is still bleeding money in an attempt to keep everyone on set while waiting for production to resume.
Louis Leterrier Has Replaced Justin Lin As Fast & Furious 10's Director
Not long after Lin's departure, Universal recruited director Louis Leterrier to direct Fast X. Leterrier has directed films like Now You See Me, The Incredible Hulk, and The Transporter, meaning he is a fantastic candidate to take Lin's spot. Leterrier has had experience working with large ensemble casts, big budgets, and large action set pieces, all things that are staples of the Fast and Furious franchise. More recently, Leterrier has directed the critically acclaimed The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, as well as episodes of Netflix's Lupin series. Leterrier was confirmed to direct Fast X just over a week after Lin's confirmed departure, so hopefully, the film will get back to shooting very soon.
Although he hasn't yet been confirmed for Fast 11, it and Fast and Furious 10 are set to shoot back-to-back, so it is likely that he will be directing that as well. Neither film has been delayed at this time, with Fast X still set to release May 19, 2023, so hopefully Leterrier is the one that can pull the Fast and Furious family back together.
Fast & Furious 10's Budget Now Reportedly At $300 Million
Universal is currently spending a lot during Fast X's production pause, but this is on top of the film's already massive budget. Fast and Furious 10's budget is reportedly $300 million, with a significant chunk of this going to cast salaries. On top of series regulars like Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, Fast X is adding Jason Momoa and Brie Larson, two new major stars who are most likely getting a large salary given their superhero franchise affiliations. This makes Fast and Furious 10 the most expensive entry in the franchise so far, and one of the most expensive movies of all time. The final budget can be expected to be much larger, however. On top of production costs, the film will also have to pay for advertising, as well as the production pauses caused by Lin's departure. While this may seem large, it will most likely pay off. Overall, the Fast and Furious franchise has grossed $6.6 billion dollars worldwide, making it one of the most lucrative film franchises ever. Fast 9 cost over $200 million and grossed more than three times that, meaning that the Fast and Furious money train is probably a long way from slowing down.
Although Fast and Furious 10 is having some production shake-ups, it seems that Universal was quick to adapt and is now trying to get things running again. The film once again has a director, and while there are apparently still some script and filming issues to iron out, it seems that Fast X is once again headed on the right track. With Justin Lin gone and Louis Leterrier helming the project, it seems like Fast and Furious 10's director controversy is mostly resolved.
