Internal drama behind Justin Lin’s Fast X exit
IN the days since director Justin Lin suddenly announced that he was dropping out from the production of Fast 10, further details have emerged about the reasons for his departure.
In a report by The Hollywood Reporter, it was revealed that Lin had been having disagreements with Fast & Furious movie franchise producer and star Vin Diesel, as well as Universal, over the both filmmaking process and the script itself.
Lin, who was handling writing duties for the movie, was reportedly frustrated by the constant changes to the script offered by Diesel, as well as the fact that the studio intended to send a writer to polish some of the actors’ dialogue. The loss of a key filming location in Eastern Europe due to the ongoing war in Ukraine also added to the stress.
In addition, sources claimed Lin was angered by Diesel’s “unprofessional” behaviour during early filming, as the actor would show up late and “out of shape”.
Things came to a head between Lin and Diesel during an April 23 meeting, after which Lin stormed out. One source quoted him saying: “This movie is not worth my mental health.”
Lin indicated that he wanted to quit, and two days later, a settlement was reached with Universal for Lin to exit the production.
At the time, it was seen as a
shocking turn for the director, who had previously directed five movies in the 21-year-old franchise. However, sources have said that the trouble was actually months in the making, following increasing pressure Lin faced from both the studio and Diesel.
The pressure on Universal to maintain the Fast franchise is immense. It is the biggest franchise in the studio’s history, grossing close to US$6 billion (RM26.12 billion) worldwide.
Following the report, a Universal spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter: “Any creative differences leading to Justin Lin’s exit were with the studio, not with fellow producers, cast or crew.”