MOVIE NEWS – Justin Lin has announced in a statement that he will step down as director of the penultimate Fast & Furious film but will remain on as producer.

Filming on Fast X has just begun, but director Justin Lin announced Tuesday that he would step down as director. For the past week, the internet has been abuzz with casting news and behind-the-scenes photos of the tenth film in the Fast X franchise, so the news of Lin’s departure came as a shock to many fans of the high-octane film series who had expected Lin to direct the final two films.

In a statement posted on the film’s official Twitter account, Lin said:

“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.”

According to Deadline, Lin’s decision to step down as director was due to “creative differences”…

According to Deadline, Lin’s decision to step down as director is due to “creative differences”, but he will remain on the project as a producer. As one of the writers on the penultimate outing of Fast & Furious, it’s too late for such problems to arise. It is reported that some filming will continue on the second unit, but the main shoot will take a short break until Justin Lin’s successor is found. As several directors are already being consulted, the delay will not affect the film’s release date for the time being.

When Justin Lin joined the franchise, the series was just another action movie, but two films later, under Lin’s direction, the saga starring Vin Diesel has rocketed to the top-grossing film series of all time. Justin Lin ended up directing five films in the franchise: apart from the more or less unrelated Tokyo Drift, these were Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast and Furious 6, and after a break, F9.

Source: Deadline

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— The Fast Saga (@TheFastSaga) April 26, 2022