Vin Diesel and Fast X director Louis Leterrier address the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding Justin Lin’s exit and how the transition was handled.

Vin Diesel and Louis Leterrier address the behind the scenes Fast X director drama. The tenth installment in the mainline Fast & Furious saga was originally directed by franchise veteran Justin Lin, who left less than one month into principal photography due to creative differences. Leterrier, known for Transporter and The Incredible Hulk, replaced Lin and rushed to perform several rewrites to the screenplay and resume production as fast as possible.

During a recent interview with Total Film (via GamesRadar), Diesel and Leterrier open up about Lin leaving Fast X, and how it impacted the movie. The franchise star says the director’s exit was a difficult time, though Diesel expressed no ill will between him and Lin. His replacement director then discusses how the switch impacted the movie and why he chose to honor Lin’s original vision for the film. Read what the two said below:

Diesel: It definitely wasn’t an easy time. There still was traces of the pandemic, and all that pressure that was put on the production. Nothing but love for Justin, and nothing but gratitude for the work that he did to get us to that first week of filming… but sometimes you’ve got to find a way to get it done.

Leterrier: I couldn’t fathom doing this. It’s just impossible. It’s just massive. Doing any movie, any TV show, anything without prep is crazy, let alone doing the biggest movie in the biggest action franchise of all time. At first, I was like, “OK, what did Justin do? Can I see storyboards? Can I see shot lists?” I took it all in. And then you find your bearings, and it becomes yours. I had a short runway, but I had the best crew in the world – Justin’s crew. We were in sync from the get-go. The analogy is: when I do French shows, I’m used to driving a little Renault; and here it’s a Dodge Charger where everything is perfectly tuned. And it’s like, “Oh my God, I’ve never felt that power.” It’s exciting.

Fast X’s Director Controversy Explained

Shortly after Lin left Fast X due to creative differences, the specifics of which are still unknown, third-party reports claimed that Vin Diesel’s behavior on the set of Fast X was the driving factor behind the director’s exit. One report alleged that Diesel was repeatedly showing up late to set, didn’t know his lines, and was out of shape. In addition, Lin reportedly left a lucrative paycheck of $10 to $20 million on the table by leaving Fast X one week into production. The original director still retains a screenplay and producer credit.

Instead of directly addressing these reports about his alleged behavior and dispute with the director, Diesel chose to remain professional and express “nothing but love” for Lin. Lin’s replacement also expressed his gratitude for the work that Lin put in during the first week of filming, which heavily influenced Leterrier’s own vision for Fast X when he took over the reins as director. Despite this initial drama involving a director switch, Fast X was able to complete production without hitting any more speed bumps and is now moving full steam ahead toward its much-anticipated premiere this summer.