Filmmaker Justin Lin helmed The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, F9, and was on board to direct both Fast X and the eventual eleventh—and final—instalment of the franchise (which, as we write this, still hasn't materialised).
However, Lin was replaced as director by Louis Leterrier following reported "creative differences." The news came as a shock, especially as production had started and, after taking charge of six Fast & Furious movies, he seemed the ideal choice to end the story of Dom and company.
A newly released book, Welcome to the Family, by author Barry Hertz, explores what led to Lin's departure, revealing that he walked away from Fast X after clashing with actor Vin Diesel.
"According to several high-level sources in the production, Lin had hit his breaking point over the steadily increasing creative tensions with Diesel, as well as difficulties with the star’s sister/producer, Samantha Vincent, who often acted as Diesel’s emissary," reveals an excerpt shared by IndieWire (via ActioNewz.com). "A key source of discord centred around the script and its ending."
"While a cliffhanger was always part of the 'Fast X' plan, several drafts of the screenplay also hinged on a jaw-dropping twist in which Dante is revealed to be the true father of Little Brian. Some members of the film’s team felt that the late-game turn was the perfect, if deeply dark, way for Dom to reckon with the concept he held most dear: family... Others, including Diesel, felt differently."
Universal Pictures reportedly wasn't sold on Lin's idea for the final action set-piece, a sequence described as "over-the-top" and featuring "Dante using a giant excavator-like machine to wreak havoc."
Alexander Witt, a veteran second-unit director and cinematographer, explained, "It was really the ending that needed work — it’s difficult to describe, but this machine eats things...the bad guy goes down, gets into this machine, comes out and starts eating cars, and it’s like a 'Transformers' movie. It was totally out of context with the movie, I thought."
"I thought it was a little too Marvel, and the problem was it would have been all CG," he added. "Although we ended up with all CG in the end. From the moment that Dom jumps over the dam [in the final film], it’s all CG."
Screen Rant, meanwhile, has shared a few additional details from Welcome to the Family, including scrapped plans for Peacock-exclusive TV shows revolving around characters like Roman and Tej, a young Dom, and Han.
The idea had been to "bulk up the catalogue" for the platform, as it struggled to survive the raging streaming wars," with the young Dom series following Diesel's character before the events of the first movie. Vinnie Bennett, who played Dom in F9's flashbacks, was eyed to star.
As noted, Fast 11 still doesn't have a confirmed release date. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is expected to return as Luke Hobbs in the movie after he and Diesel squashed their beef. The latter recently shared a gushing Instagram post about his Fast Five co-star, which you can read below.