The longtime franchise director, who began working on the high-octane Universal series with 2006’s “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” and then directed four more installments, apparently parted ways with the production over creative differences — and several days into the shoot. Lin will remain as a producer and the exit is described in Deadline’s report as “amicable.” He co-wrote “Fast X,” the 10th movie in the series, with Dan Mazeau. In a statement, 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.”
The film is dated for May 19, 2023, and Deadline reports that insiders do not expect that will change. The production will continue shooting second-unit footage before temporarily shutting down until a new director can be hired. Reps for Lin and Universal had not yet returned IndieWire’s requests for comment at press time. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
