Director Justin Lin, who has been a significant part of the ongoing Fast and Furious movies and directed some of its best and most influential films, reportedly exited the 10th film after having a major disagreement with star Vin Diesel.
Lin returned to the franchise to direct Fast 9 ad was set to see out the last movies of the main Fast franchise, which is coming to an end.
1. Details on Justin Lin's Exit from 'Fast X'
Lin announced that he was stepping back from directing Fast X last week, only a few days into the start of production. In Lin’s announcement to the franchise’s fans, he made it clear that the split was amicable, but news from insiders has painted a much messier picture of the director’s exit, and it revolves around the franchise’s biggest star in Diesel.
Reportedly, the two had a significant disagreement which led Lin to resign his position immediately.
According to The Hollywood Reporter sources, there was a meeting between Lin, Diesel and executives met to discuss Diesel’s new notes for the script. The studio sent a writer to help polish the dialogue on set while shooting began. One insider said, “Justin finally had enough and said, ‘This movie is not worth my mental health.”
The authority and veto power Diesel had over the filming and writing process created a whirlwind of a production that became enough to make Lin walk away from the situation.
2. Two days after the director’s exit, it was announced that Lin would stay on as a producer after reaching a settlement with Universal.
Lin reportedly “gave his blessing” to the returning crew members loyal to the director that stayed on the production.
Diesel has had a history of being difficult to work with, most notably with Dwayne Johnson, who is adamant about never returning to the franchise after multiple conflicts with Diesel who has been a very controlling and dominant force in the franchise. Recently, Johnson had publicly shut down Diesel’s invitation to bury the hatchet and return for the final movies.
Louis Leterrier (Transporter, Lupin) has been announced as the new Fast X director.
Fast X is set to be released on May 19, 2023.
