Justin Lin’s abrupt departure from Fast X left devoted Fast & Furious fans shocked, and rumors of behind-the-scenes drama between him and franchise star Vin Diesel didn’t calm the fervor. Soon, the sudden turmoil subsided as the penultimate installment announced that Clash of the Titans filmmaker Louis Leterrier would take over for Lin. Of course, fans have wondered what it was like for Leterrier to step in and fill Lin’s shoes. After completing the film, the director of the upcoming Fast X revealed how he jumped into the role so suddenly.
Even though the Transporter 2 director was fresh to the car-themed franchise, he was welcomed by the Fast X cast and crew for bringing something new to the penultimate film. Leterrier had been an admirer of the Fast & Furious film series so he brought a wealth of knowledge to the tenth film. This impressed Vin Diesel enough to win his approval immediately. While the transition appeared to go smoothly, the filmmaker spilled to Total Film (via CBR) that taking over from Lin didn’t come easy.
I had to change everything. I had to make it work. I don’t sleep! There’s so much to do. [But] it’s been the thrill ride of a lifetime.
Louis Leterrier was clearly prepared to straighten out any mess before hopping in the director’s chair. Of course, the The Takedown director was tossed into the lion’s den as the tenth installment was only days into production. He wasn’t only tasked with getting things back on track but taking over the F9 director’s vision and putting his stamp on the franchise’s conclusion. However, he seemed enthused to join the franchise as both a filmmaker and a fan. Hopefully his love for the decades-long franchise will translate to Dom Toretto and his crew's road to their final showdown.
Louis Leterrier has let his fan flag fly, as he’s been giving fellow & and Furious fans small tidbits here and there since joining Fast X. Without getting specific, the director did reveal that Charlize Theron’s Cipher is on the loose after F9, and the introduction of Jason Momoa’s vengeful Dante Reyes will unleash war as the fast-paced film series edges toward its finale. Of course, those revelations rose the stakes as seen in the epic Super Bowl trailer. Leterrier has done his part in hyping up the villain’s connection to Dom.
While Justin Lin won’t direct the final Fast & Furious films, he will remain a producer on Fast X, in addition to co-writing the film’s script. The film will feature Dom and his crew along with some returning familiar faces. Along with the addition of Momoa, Oscar winners Brie Larson and Rita Moreno joined the cast as new ally Tess and the Torettos’ grandmother, respectively. Fortunately, fans won’t have to wait much longer for Leterrier’s vision, as the tenth installment will finally hit theaters on May 19.
In the meantime, get ready for Fast X by re-watching prior installments on streaming platforms. You rent/buy The Fast and the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Fast & Furious, Fast Five and The Fate of the Furious through an Amazon Prime Video subscription. Get a Hulu subscription to watch Fast & Furious 6. You can watch The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift and Furious 7 with an active Peacock subscription, and don’t forget to catch F9 through an HBO Max subscription.
