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.

Justin Lin

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