Louis Leterrier, who worked on the first two Transporter movies, starring Jason Statham, the Marvel movie The Incredible Hulk, and Now You See Me, is officially set to direct the upcoming tenth installment of the Fast & Furious saga — Fast X — after Justin Lin walked out from the position due to creative differences, Variety has learned. Lin is still working on the project as the producer.
Justin Lin directed the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth movies of the franchise, so his departure from the upcoming tenth installment was a huge surprise, especially because he announced his resignation only three days after the movie began production. It’s not known what caused Lin to leave, although there some reports are saying he had some disagreements with Vin Diesel, the franchise’s producer, and the lead star.
Louis Leterrier is best known for his work on the first two Transporter movies, The Incredible Hulk, Clash of the Titans, Now You See Me, Grimsby, and The Takedown. His experience from working on Transporter will certainly help him with his work on the Fast & Furious franchise. Transporter star Jason Statham starred as Deckard Shaw in the seventh and eighth movie of the franchise. Statham also reprised the role in the spin-off movie Hobbs and Shaw, and the post-credit scene of last year’s ninth, and currently the latest installment. It’s unknown if Statham will return for the tenth movie, but it’s possible.
Fast X is set to be the first part of the planned two-part adaptation of the franchise. Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Michael Rooker, and Charlize Theron are all set to reprise their roles from the previous movies, while Jason Momoa, Daniela Melchior, and Brie Larson joined the movie in undisclosed roles. Momoa was confirmed to play a villain.
Although the production was temporarily paused due to this replacement, the movie won’t suffer any delays. Fast X is set to open in theaters on May 19, 2023.