Louis Leterrier Reveals The First Time He Felt Up to Speed on the Fast X Set (Exclusive)

Fast X is approaching the finish line. The tenth installment into the Fast Saga went into production in April 2022 but hit a significant speed bump when long-time director Justin Lin suddenly exited the project due to creative differences. Universal Pictures wasted no time in finding a replacement, as Now You See Me helmer Louis Leterrier was tapped to take over Fast X just four days after Lin left the project. The pressure was on for Leterrier, as a multi-billion dollar franchise now rested in his hands with barely any time to prepare.

Fortunately for the French filmmaker, he found himself up to speed with the task almost immediately. Speaking to ComicBook.com, Leterrier revealed he felt comfortable with the responsibility by the time cameras stopped rolling on Fast X's first day.

"It's like a party and you have to arrive fashionably late. I was a little too fashionably late. Day one, I felt at ease. Maybe not take one, but at the end of day one," Leterrier said. 

Leterrier admitted that he tip-toed with his ensemble at the beginning of production, but he was able to cement a trust between himself and the talent fairly quickly.

"Every set's a different thing, a different process. I didn't know. I'd met Vin Diesel, I had met Michelle Rodriguez, but now I had to direct them and then go and really tweak their performances and do like that. It's a trust thing that needs to happen between a director and an actor," Leterrier continued. "At first I was sort of politely directing, very politely, 'Thank you very much. That was a great take,' and everything. Very quickly I realized that it's like every set. Sure, it's Fast And Furious, but it's like every set I've ever been on, Now You See Me or other, and I've directed great actors before and they're great actors, so let's just go. Come on. Great actors like to be directed and that's what I did."

Leterrier's efforts did not go unnoticed by his cast either. Leading woman Michelle Rodriguez praised Leterrier for taking the Fast X reins, emphasizing that he "saved" the project.

Fast X hits theaters this Friday, May 19th.