Louis Leterrier To Replace Justin Lin as Director

Last week, Justin Lin stunned Hollywood when he abruptly dropped out of directing Fast X, the tenth and final (ish; the film is supposed to be broken into two parts) chapter of the Fast & Furious saga. Lin had been with Fast & Furious off and on since the franchise’s third film, and has directed more Fasts than anyone alive. He made F9: The Fast Saga, and had been involved with this movie since its earliest development. And yet within days of the movie going into production, Lin quit. He offered no reason for the move beyond saying it was a “difficult decision.”

That left Universal with one of the biggest movies in history in active production without a filmmaker at the helm. According to some reports, Lin’s departure could cost the studio around $1 million a day while they select a replacement. So no wonder that, one week later, they have reportedly made their choice.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the man Universal wants to direct Fast X is Louis Leterrier, the experienced filmmaker behind such movies as The Incredible Hulk, the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans, and the first Now You See Me, all of which were fairly sizable hits. He’s recently been working on TV for Netflix, directing episodes of Lupin and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance series.

THR says “details and deals need to still be worked out but if pieces all come together, the movie could be back on track in a matter of days” which, again, is of the utmost financial importance for the studio. Fast X is scheduled to open in theaters on May 19, 2023. Universal needs to get someone in charge quick to make that date without additional delays.