After Justin Lin, director of 5 different films from the Fast & Furious franchise, quit directing the tenth entry of the series due to creative disagreements, Louis Leterrier took over as director of Fast X. Leterrier confirmed that the upcoming film would take the series back to practical action.
The last fans saw of the franchise was F9, directed by Lin, which was known to have taken the film series to space—literally, which explains Leterrier's desire to bring it back to the ground.
The tenth Fast & Furious film is the first of a two-part series finale. In this part, which will release on May 19, 2023, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family will oppose a new enemy (played by Jason Momoa), the son of Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), who was killed in Fast Five.
In a recent interview with Esquire Middle East, Leterrier revealed more of the upcoming movie, including his approach and how it differs from Lin's in F9.
Leterrier said that he wants to make Fast X more realistic. Although he initially doubted that he'll be able to top cars going into space in F9, he felt like the realism of the upcoming film was closer to his "style." He added:
"What I can do is do stuff that we've never done before practically, such as rolling a one-ton bomb—an actual one ton metal ball in the streets of Rome, and hope not to destroy the Colosseum."
He continued to credit visual effects, which helped with safety and scope. However, he still wanted to keep the realism and practicality in Fast X. He then compared the upcoming film to the film series' first, third, and fifth movies, saying:
"I wanted it to feel like Fast 1, Fast 3, and Fast 5—movies that feel grounded. That is my style, and everyone accepted that, so everyone was really on board. Everyone was excited to re-explore physical stunts."
Leterrier then talks about bringing the franchise back to what it originally was about: cars. He says:
"This franchise is all about cars, but we hadn't seen a driver antagonist for a long time."
Louis Leterrier's Experience With Action Films
While Fast X will be Leterrier's first time directing a Fast & Furious film, he is known for his action films, including the first two Transporter films, The Incredible Hulk, Unleashed, Now You See Me, Clash of the Titans, and the television series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
However, it's still up to fans to decide if Leterrier's style suits the franchise's finale in theaters on May 19.