Louis Leterrier Replacing Justin Lin As Director Of ‘Fast X’

Justin Lin surprised fans of “The Fast and The Furious” franchise when he announced that he was quitting the series in late April. Lin has worked on five films over the last ten years in the popular series. The latest release, ‘Fast X,’ recently began production. His replacement has now been revealed.

Variety reports that “Transporter” director Louis Leterrier will take over the latest installment. Several other candidates were considered. Leterrier was Universal Pictures’ first choice.

Scheduling will have to be worked out to accommodate the change. It is not known when shooting will pick up again. Only a week of filming had taken place when Lin walked away from the film.

Leterrier will be inheriting a turn-key project. There won’t be time or space in the budget for any major creative changes. Several second unit shoots have been ongoing in the absence of Justin Lin.

Universal has been losing an estimated $600 to $1 million per day while the movie sat idle with no director. Major stars like Charlize Theron, Jason Momoa, and Brie Larson have incredibly busy schedules. A quick move needed to be made to keep the project rolling.

Louis Leterrier was Universal’s top pick all along, so the studio and director must be on the same page creatively. Hopefully, that leads to a smooth shoot. With so many huge names and moving parts, any further delays could have been a disaster for production.

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