Fast X Director Louis Leterrier First Turned Down the Job Due to One Major Fear

There was a time in which Louis Leterrier wanted nothing to do with Fast X, for fear he could be blamed for the demise of one of Hollywood’s most popular franchises. In fact, the filmmaker revealed in one recent interview that he initially turned down the job because of how unsure he was of the discourse surrounding the production.

“People are like, ‘But it’s fine because, at the end of the day, you tried your best.’ I was like, ‘No.’ Because if you fail, your name is attached, you’re the guy who killed the Fast & Furious franchise, you know?” The Incredible Hulk helmer told Collider. “There’s no poster that says, ‘Well, we didn’t have the budget so the movie is not as good. The schedule was bad, the weather was horrible.’ No one cares. They judge you.”

He added, “So that was the thing, and that really is why, Steve, I said no in the beginning. At first I said, ‘Yes, of course!’ And then after, I was like – as much as I loved the script that I had read, and meeting these people – I was like, terrified. So I was about to say no, and my wife was like, ‘No, you’re doing it, you’re doing it!’”

Prior to Leterrier boarding the project, it was being directed by Fast and Furious mainstay Justin Lin, who inevitably left due to creative differences between he and the studio. Still, Leterrier has said he remained in contact with Lin throughout the production process.

Directed by Leterrier (Clash of the Titans, The Incredible Hulk), Fast X stars returning cast members Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, John Cena, and Scott Eastwood, with Oscar winner Helen Mirren and Oscar winner Charlize Theron. 

The film also features an extraordinary new cast including Oscar winner Brie Larson as Tess, a rogue representative from the Agency; Alan Richtson (Reacher) as Aimes, the new head of the Agency who doesn’t hold the same fondness for Dom’s crew as his predecessor, Mr. Nobody; Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad) as a Brazilian street racer with a powerful tie to Dom’s past; and legendary Oscar winner Rita Moreno as Dom and Mia’s Abuelita Toretto. 

Fast X lands in theaters on May 19th.