The Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier has been officially named the new Fast X director for the next entry in the Fast and Furious franchise. Following up on the announcement that Justin Lin would be exiting as director of the next Fast and Furious installment, Louis Leterrier is listed as the front-runner to head the production of Fast X. The movie is set to release on May 19, 2023.
Louis Leterrier has officially replaced Justin Lin as the director of ‘FAST X’. pic.twitter.com/nFE439tqVC
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 2, 2022
Louis Leterrier’s Selection as Fast X Director, Justin Lin Departure, and More
When the announcement that Justin Lin would be leaving as Fast X director a week into production, the studio hoped to find a replacement quickly. Apparently, Universal chief Donna Langley has had a great relationship with Leterrier for years, and he quickly was put at the top of the list of potential new Fast X directors.
Louis Leterrier is perhaps most famous for his work as director of The Incredible Hulk, The Transporter, and Now You See Me, and Lin will still work with him as a producer.
Justin Lin is known for having directed five movies in the Fast and Furious series, beginning with 2006’s The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and ending with last year’s F9. Fast X was already a week into production when he announced his departure, a New York Daily News report suggesting he departed after clashing with star Vin Diesel.
Diesel will return in Fast X as racer Dom Torretto, along with series regulars Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, and Ludacris, with the new addition of Brie Larson and Jason Momoa as the main villain. Sung Kang and Charlize Theron also return.
Fast X was initially envisioned as the first of a two-part conclusion to the Fast & Furious saga,though the filmmakers have reportedly “contemplated” splitting the feature into two parts during production.
