Fast X Director Rewrote Entire Third Act on Flight to Set

Fast X is the tenth installment of The Fast Saga and it’s hitting theaters in May. The film’s production hit a snag early on when director Justin Lin left the project due to a reported “major disagreement” with franchise star Vin Diesel. Lin ended up being replaced by Louis Leterrier who is best known for helming The Incredible Hulk (2008) and Now You See Me (2013). During a recent interview with Variety at the Fast X trailer launch, Leterrier revealed that he was asked to rewrite the entire third act of the movie on his way to the set. 

“I read the script four times on the plane, and I said I had some ideas, and they said, ‘Great, because the whole third act is changing. Can you rewrite it tonight?’” Leterrier explained. “I was literally on no sleep. I’d been on no sleep for days.” He added, “Obviously, this was not going to be set in stone … But I was like, ‘Okay, yeah, I’ve got some ideas,’ and started writing. And obviously, since the third act was changing, I needed to change the first act. And when you rewrite the third act, and the first act, the second act has to go. So basically I had to on the fly rebuild the airplane.” 

What Will Louis Leterrier Bring to The Fast Saga?

ComicBook.com also had the chance to chat with Leterrier at the Fast X trailer launch, and he talked about joining the franchise for its tenth installment. 

“Well, it was important for me to bring my flair,” Leterrier explained. “My flair is reality, is physics, is bringing the actors into the action, never separating action and storytelling and emotion. Everything is doing a little bit of stirring the pot and bringing everybody into this controlled chaos.”

Who Stars in Fast X?

Returning franchise cast members in Fast X include Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese, Sung Kang, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Charlize Theron. The trailer for Fast X also confirmed the return of John Cena, Jason Statham, and Helen Mirren. Diesel’s two-time Guardians of the Galaxy co-star Michael Rooker, who cameoed as old Toretto family friend Buddy in F9, confirmed last year he will reprise his role in Fast X. Franchise newcomers include Jason Momoa, Brie Larson, Daniela Melchior, and Rita Moreno. 

Fast X speeds into theaters on May 19th.