'Fast X' Loses Its Director Just As Filming Begins

Fast X, AKA Fast & Furious 10, is set to be the penultimate movie in the long-running series. Is it just me who’s irrationally bothered about the fact that they’ll be ending on ‘11’? That’s such an annoyingly uneven number. I’m sure fans are happy that they’ll be getting a few extra hours of speedy cars and action before we officially reach the conclusion, but come on. Why 11?

I digress, because we’re not here to talk about the eleventh movie. It’s been confirmed that Fast X’s director, Justin Lin (who also directed Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, and also F9) has stepped down from the movie. This news comes right before filming was set to commence.

As reported by ComicBook, Lin released an official statement about his withdrawal: “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. Over 10 years and five films, we have been able to shoot the best actors, the best stunts, and the best damn car chases,” he said. “On a personal note, as the child of Asian immigrants, I am proud of helping to build the most diverse franchise in movie history. I will forever be grateful to the amazing cast, crew and studio for their support, and for welcoming me into the FAST family.”

There’s been no further word on his departure, so at the moment, it’s not known what influenced the director’s decision to step down, or for that matter, who will be taking his place. Deadline reports that insiders are claiming that production on the film will pause while a new director is found, which could suggest that the news came as a bit of a shock to everyone. At this time, it’s also not known if this could mean any delays to the movie’s release (which is currently set to be 19 May 2023). We’ll just have to stay tuned for more updates.