It's one thing for a big franchise to have one or two star names and the kind of salaries that come with them, but when it comes to the Fast and Furious movies, it seems like the penultimate film in the franchise has seen its budget speed up to over $300 million thanks to its growing cast of Hollywood big hitters. Fast X will see the Vin Diesel-led high-speed series head towards its conclusion, but following the news that director Justin Lin has dropped out of the project over reported issues with Diesel, it has now been suggested that the budget for the movie has been reaching astronomical figures, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.
While the budget for Fast X may be looking like the kind of box office returns many movies would have loved to see coming in over the last two years, except for the pandemic-era release of F9, several of the previous entries in the Fast Saga have taken well over $1 billion. Clearly, Universal will be hoping for a return to those kinds of numbers when Fast X hits cinemas next year, but with Lin out as filming begins, the ship needs to be steadied by potential incoming director Louis Leterrier very quickly.
When it comes to that budget, it is thought that Universal has shelled out well over $100 million on the cast alone, having paid sizable chunks to ensure the return of the likes of Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Charlize Theron, as well as adding in new blood with Brie Larson and Jason Momoa, and that is without factoring star and producer Diesel into the equation. With filming only just getting started, there is certainly still room for that budget to increase again over the course of the shoot.
Fast X Lost Its Director Just Days Into Filming
Late last week, the news broke that Fast X director Justin Lin had unexpectedly left the project. At the time, the news came as a shock to many, considering Lin has been an integral part of the franchise's success and had only been seen two days before in a video with Vin Diesel hyping the movie. According to reports, Lin quit the day after that video was shared by the franchise’s star after being reported to have said he could no longer work with Diesel. This in no way helped when it comes to budget, as while the hunt for Lin’s replacement was completed it was said to be costing $1 million a day to delay filming.
All in all, it is probably not the start to filming that anyone wanted for the movie. Although the issues around Lin’s departure seem to be less than amicable, there is too much at stake to allow such matters to get in the way of the movie’s production in the long term. With one more film to follow this, the legacy of the Fast Saga is very much in the balance. Fast X is currently slated to premiere on May 19, 2023.