Last April, Fast X , which we know quite a bit about at this point, hit a major and surprising setback just as it began filming. Director Justin Lin made the “difficult decision” to step away from the film after having previously helmed the bulk of the movies in the long-running movie series. Thankfully for Universal (and its wallet), just a week later, it found a replacement in Louis Leterrier, as rumors involving leading man Vin Diesel began to swirl. Now, franchise veteran Michelle Rodriguez has recalled that in the time when the production was between directors, she and Charlize Theron actually managed to get a major scene together shot.
Ahead of Fast X's nearly imminent release, Michelle Rodriguez is on the big screen once more as one of the stars of this weekend’s latest big-budget, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. While teasing her next project, in which she’ll once again reprise her role as the resurrected Letty, she revealed Lin’s exit did not disrupt her and Charlize Theron’s aim to shoot a serious scene teased in the trailer. In her words:
Can I just tell you—no pun intended, but Charlize is a monster. We shot our [Fast X] fight sequence with no director... Bro, like, hands down, drop mic, we nailed it. We were there, we don’t need [a director], let’s do this. Second unit director, come on. We kept that train running until Louie came in and took over. And she is a consummate professional, sharp elbows, her work ethic is beyond.
Release Date: May 19, 2023
Directed By: Louis Leterrier
Written By: Justin Lin, Louis Leterrier and Dan Mazeau
Starring: Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Momoa, John Cena, Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Charlize Theron, Rita Moreno and much more.
During an interview with Vanity Fair, the actress shared that she and Charlize Theron, who is returning as Cipher in the latest installment, straight-up shot that fight sequence together -- without a director in place for the movie. A second unit helmer was there to help call the shots but, otherwise, the pair of badass actors took it upon themselves to get some filming amid the Fast & Furious film's filmmaker snafu.
While revealing this detail, Michelle Rodriguez also tipped her proverbial hat to her fellow action star co-star for an incredible “work ethic” and being an all-around great scene partner. The two of them clearly train unbelievably hard for their action scenes in movies, and they’ll be having a big showdown in Fast X. Charlize Theron and Rodriguez have long histories of doing their own stunts for movies, with Rodriguez recently doing stunts for the D&D movie and Theron learning how to sword fight for The Old Guard 2 (and unfortunately having to take a shoulder injury like a champ).
After Justin Lin’s exit from Fast X, Louis Leterrier had a whirlwind journey to the director’s chair which included him rewriting a ton of the script and heading to set just four days after getting the call from Universal to replace Lin. As Michelle Rodriguez explained, she and her co-star were able to keep “the train running” in the meantime. I imagine that was a pretty stressful time, but it's downright awesome to hear that the stars kept their heads and were able to keep things going.
You can see Michelle Rodriguez in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves now by heading to your local theater, and look forward to her return as Letty in Fast X, which arrives in cinemas on May 19 as part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
