Fast and Furious: Fast X Filming in Los Angeles Has Residents Furious Over Dangerous Stunts
A year from its theatrical release, the latest Fast and Furious installment is already getting attention — but not necessarily in a good way. A new report from Variety reveals that residents of Los Angeles' historic Angelino Heights neighborhood are planning to protest production on Fast X later this week. Residents received a notice of filming that indicated that Fast X would shoot in front of the real-life Toretto house on Friday, with a sequence that would involve "simulated emergency services activity, aerial photography, wetting down of street and atmospheric smoke." According to the reporting, the protest is to raise awareness for road safety education, as some residents are unhappy after the area has already become home to car enthusiasts engaging in street racing and other potentially-dangerous behavior around the franchise's real-life locations.
"If this film shoot is allowed to go forward in Angelino Heights, or any part of it from F10 Productions (Universal) … we will stage a huge protest and will invite many reporters and news cameras to film us protesting this film shoot all day and night," an email obtained by Variety from a resident to Los Angeles City Council reads. "We will hold this protest to honor the 178 people who have been killed by street racers in Los Angeles, and to shame Universal for their callous disregard for this deadly epidemic of street racing their films started and continue to promote."
"The fact that these people can find the actual spot and then just go torment the people living there is irresponsible," one resident cited in the report argues. "Of course [Universal] didn't know when they made the movie that it would be such a cultural phenomenon."
Fast X will also see the return of Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Michael Rooker, Scott Eastwood, and Charlize Theron. New cast members also include Rita Moreno, Alan Ritchson, Daniela Melchior, and Brie Larson. The film will be directed by Louis Leterrier, following the departure of Justin Lin earlier this spring.
"It is back-to-back," Diesel previously told ComicBook.com. "The target release date is 02/23 for the first one and 02/24 for the second one. We were supposed to release this movie last year, prior to the pandemic. So I guess what's different about this release is that we're a year into development and pre-production on Fast 10. And so I'm doing these interviews and it's bizarre because I have to go back to Fast 9. I'm celebrating the release of Fast 9, but I have so much more to celebrate."
What do you think of this planned protest surrounding Fast X? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Fast X is poised to drop in theaters on May 19, 2023.