Justin Lin is No Longer Directing ‘Fast X’: Will Stay On as Producer

After a week of shooting, Justin Lin has announced that he has stepped down as the director of Fast X, for both Parts 1 and 2. The news has come as quite of a shock for both the cast and crew, with the director citing creative differences that led him to quit the project. He will, however, remain on as one of the film’s producers, and credited as a co-writer with Dan Mazeau, but will no longer be directing the final installments of the franchise. Lin was critical of the decisions that were made after The Fate of the Furious, and open about them on the media, but it is unclear if these decisions caused him to depart. He wrote a statement on his departure, which you can read below:

“With the support of Universal, I have made the difficult decision to step back as director of Fast X, while remaining with the project as a producer. Over 10 years and five films, we have been able to shoot the best actors, the best stunts, and the best damn car chases. On a personal note, as the child of Asian immigrants, I am proud of helping to build the most diverse franchise in movie history. I will forever be grateful to the amazing cast, crew and studio for their support, and for welcoming me into the FAST family.”

Lin has directed the most installments of the franchise and reinvented the series with Fast Five, from street racing to car heists, which is widely known as the best of the Fast films. According to The Hollywood Reporter, David Leitch and F. Gary Gray are being considered as replacements, though Leitch is a long shot since he will soon be helming Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling. Production on Fast X is suspended indefinitely, as the studio is scrambling for a new director.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter