As Fast X finally arrives on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray today, we were recently able to sit down with director Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk; Transporter 2) to talk about helming the latest blockbuster entry in the long-running Fast & Furious franchise, which has grossed over $719.3 million worldwide to date.
During our fantastic conversation, he was more than kind enough to break down stepping into the director's chair after Justin Lin's unexpected departure, and how he had to essentially reinvent the film in the midst of shooting while simultaneously finding a way to leave his own mark on this epic action saga.
Plus, we get into the decision to separate Dom (Vin Diesel) from his family, what comes next for Jason Statham's scene-stealing Deckard Shaw, and he also teases how this story eventually ends - and whether Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) could return for one last ride...
Fast X races onto Digital on August 1st and on 4K and Blu-ray™ on August 8th!
Watch our full interview with Louis Leterrier below, and please remember to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel for more exclusive content!
ROHAN: Can you break down the decision to separate Dominic Toretto from his family for the majority of the film?
LOUIS: That's a really good question. I think, after so many years, and frankly, so many adventures and stuff, from swinging on cables to going to space. We realized what the family was capable of doing together and the idea of separating Dom from his family, and then also using them as his weakness, you know, he loves them so much, and the target put on them actually will weaken him. That was the plan from the very beginning. That's what was devised, and that was the plot, even before I came on, which I thought was great because it changes everything. Everybody talks about family, family, family, that’s Fast and Furious, but if you use the family as Dom's Achilles’ heel, it raises the stakes so much higher.
ROHAN: I imagine this was a unique experience for you, especially since you stepped into the director's chair fairly deep into production. What was that experience like since you weren't able to do your own pre-production work and had to basically take what had been done to craft your own vision?
LOUIS: Well, I didn't have time to do that, so I had to do it as we were shooting, because every actor, there’s so many actors, and every actor had limited time on our movie, because they were doing other movies at the same time. We started, you know, we shot in the spring, and then everybody had a summer movie that they had to go to, so I couldn't just stop, take three weeks to work on my vision and do that, so I sort of did it as we went. I think they had shot 2-3 days or something, and then I picked it up, didn't reshoot what they’d shot, but sort of made it work within what my intentions were. Then, my intentions were also evolving, because I got to, as a director, you get to understand your script, you get to realize the strengths and weaknesses of some of your set pieces and what works and what doesn't, and so I had to do it as we were shooting. I was working very late nights and very early mornings, but really got a grasp of what I wanted to do after a few days of filming. So, understanding how it was all working, and then we had one long weekend where I worked day and night to really craft my vision.
Also, one thing that happened was we lost our location at the end, for our third act, for our final set piece, so I had to rewrite, reconceive the entire third act and then, when you do that, it affects the first day of the second act, and the first act too. So, basically, you sort of have to reorganize some stuff and tweak some stuff up and plant some seeds in the first act that you need to harvest in the last act, and all that stuff made it complex. But, frankly, the greatest thing about Fast and Furious are the people, the people that you work with, you know, from the crew to definitely the cast and the studio, that have been working on these movies for a quarter of a century. They know what they want and they know their characters and everything, but they also are really welcoming of new ideas and new visions and a strong vision also, like they love somebody, they love my coming on and the passion I had, but also that I really had to take on what needs to be done.
So, bringing Dante to the character that he is now, bringing the action and intercutting the action and never stopping the storytelling where the action started. So, all that stuff worked really well but it wouldn't have, you know, if I’d been with a cast that was like, ‘No, I don't want to do this or do that.’ It would have been impossible or the studio giving me grief every time I was asking to change something because I think it was not working. No, we work together, you know, we were conscious of everything, the story, the cost, the schedules, but we all set out to make the best movie possible.
ROHAN: I'm a huge Jason Statham fan and love Deckard Shaw - and I know you've worked with him before on Transporter 2. What was it like reuniting with him and what can you tease about what comes next for Shaw?
LOUIS: I can’t tell you about the next movie. The only thing I can tell you is that I love Jason, and it was so incredible seeing him again, working with him again, after 25 years apart. I was very, very excited to keep going on further adventures with him. He’s just a fantastic actor. It's also very interesting to see - When we did Transporter 2, he was at the beginning of his career, I was definitely at the beginning of my career as a director, and we were in different places and everything and now, to see our collective body of work, to come in with all of this new experience, the dialogue is there, like, it was fast. We knew what needed to be done and how to make his character really pop and make these scenes really pop, and it's such a pleasure when you work with somebody that you know, that you can finish each other's sentences. It's the greatest feeling. The whole crew is loving it, and you shoot great stuff, the moments captured on screen are really genuinely good.
ROHAN: By the time the credits roll, pretty much every character's life is in peril - save for Brian and Mia? If we're reaching the franchise's endgame, have you and Vin Diesel had conversations about how they factor into the final few films? Or have you discussed how this story ends?
LOUIS: We know where this franchise ends. It's very clear. Now, the journey to get to this finale, you know, needs to be changed. Right now, there’s a strike, it's hard to figure it all out, but we have a good sense of where we're going from the very beginning. So, yeah, every character will be accounted for, every character will have their payoff. It's not just fan service, it's our duty. So, yeah - and that's why we brought back these characters, the characters we brought back in Fast X, just at the end during our tags, it's very important to bring them back into our main story.
BONUS FEATURES ON 4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL:
- THIS IS FAMILY - Family bonds are always the strongest. Reunite with your favorite FAST family members as we introduce new characters, travel across continents, reveal intimate views of epic stunts, and get personal about the beginning of the end of the FAST franchise.
- FAST BREAKS: SCENE BREAKDOWNS WITH LOUIS LETERRIER* - Director Louis Leterrier gives insight into some of the magic that went into making FAST X, breaking down how he filmed these unforgettable action scenes in legendary locations around the world.
- XTREME RIDES OF FAST X - In FAST, we cast cars like we cast characters. Take a closer look at how classic FAST cars were rebuilt for FAST X, and which new vehicles are customized and introduced to enhance the lifeblood of the franchise.
- BELLES OF THE BRAWL - The women of FAST X are not to be messed with. Watch as they add their special talents to huge fight scenes, from rehearsal to the real thing.
- TUNED INTO RIO - Revisit FAST's past as our story takes us back to Rio de Janeiro, where we'll experience a non-stop party, exotic cars, and a classic FAST quarter mile street race.
- JASON MOMOA: CONQUERING ROME* - Jason Momoa joins the FAST franchise to portray a villain that pushes the team to the brink of disaster. Watch as Momoa discusses his approach to the character, biking down the narrow streets of Rome, and performing his own stunts.
- LITTLE B TAKES THE WHEEL - Get to know the youngest member of the Toretto family as we dive into Little B’s journey in FAST X and introduce Leo Abelo Perry.
- A FRIEND IN THE END - The FAST franchise has a history of shocking end-credit tags, and FAST X is no different. We take a special look at this scene and why, if you're watching a FAST movie, you never want to get up before the end credits are finished!
- GAG REEL*
- MUSIC VIDEOS
- "TORETTO" BY J BALVIN
- "ANGEL PT. 1" BY KODAK BLACK & NLE CHOPPA (FEATURING JIMIN OF BTS, JVKE & MUNI LONG)
- FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR LOUIS LETERRIER*
FAST X races onto Digital on August 1st and on 4K and Blu-ray™ on August 8th!