The The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift through Fast & Furious 6, entered talks to direct the ninth and tenth installments in the franchise, with a later news confirming that the film would be split into two parts and conclude the mainline series. Vin Diesel is once again returning to lead the cast of Fast 10 alongside fellow vets Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang and Charlize Theron, with Michael Rooker reprising his F9: The Fast Saga role.
Fast 10 will also mark the franchise debuts of Jason Momoa as the film's villain along with The Suicide Squad breakout star Daniela Melchior and Brie Larson in undisclosed roles. Production on the Fast & Furious sequel kicked off at the end of April with the announcement of its Fast X title, though encountered a major hurdle when Lin exited over creative differences on the film after a week of filming. Following millions of dollars spent on looking for a new filmmaker to take the helm, it looks like Universal has put Fast 10 back on track.
Just over a week after Justin Lin stepped down from the position, The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit has brought word that the Fast 10 director replacement search has ended. Universal is reuniting with The Incredible Hulk's Louis Leterrier to direct the next installment in the action franchise. Despite exiting over creative differences, Lin remains onboard Fast 10 as the co-writer and producer of the film.
Since making his feature debut with the Jason Statham-led The Transporter, Leterrier has made a name for himself within the action genre, having gone on to direct its 2005 sequel and the well-received Jet Li vehicle Unleashed. Leterrier's rise to stardom in the US came with 2008's The Incredible Hulk, the second installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring Edward Norton in the titular role, which received generally positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing over $264.8 million against its estimated $150 million budget. The years since have seen Leterrier deliver an array of films, including the Sam Worthington-starring Clash of the Titans remake, which was poorly received but was a box office smash, the heist thriller Now You See Me, which saw similar financial and critical results, and the critical and commercial failure The Brothers Grimsby.
Outside of films, Leterrier has also enjoyed some success on the small screen, directing the acclaimed The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and three episodes of Lupin at Netflix. While some may still be disappointed at Lin's Fast 10 exit, which reportedly stems from issues with Vin Diesel's on-set behavior, Leterrier's celebrated past in the action genre is sure to keep some anticipation alive for the next sequel. Only time will tell if The Incredible Hulk director proves up to the task when Fast 10 hits theaters on May 19, 2023.
Source: Borys Kit/Twitter
