Justin Lin Abruptly Steps Down As ‘Fast X’ Director Days After Filming Began

Veteran Fast franchise director Justin Lin will no longer direct Fast X.

Although Lin has stepped down from being the movie’s director, he will still remain as a producer. According to Deadline, the decision for his exit was due to creative differences.

“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,” said Lin in a statement.

Lin’s exit comes just a few days after the movie began production. Now, production has been put on hold as Universal attempts to find a new director.

Lin is highly-regarded among fans. He has been an architect of the Fast franchise and has directed some of the most critically-acclaimed entries in the film series. He first joined the series in its third installment, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and transformed the series from a simple street-racing action pic to a globe-trotting action event. Aside from Tokyo Drift, Lin also directed Fast Five and Fast and Furious 6. After leaving in 2013, he returned once again in 2021 to direct Fast and Furious 9.

Fast and Furious 9 became one of the biggest films in the post-pandemic era, grossing more than US$720 million worldwide.

Fast 10 has had a lot of drama lately. From series star Vin Diesel manipulating ex co-star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson into returning to Lin’s initial plans to bring back Paul Walker’s character back into the franchise, and now Lin leaving – the only good news fans have had so far is that Jason Momoa is set to play the upcoming movie’s villain.