Is Vin Diesel The Reason Why Justin Lin Stepped Down As Director Of 'Fast X'?
It's officially less than a year to the world premiere of Fast X, the much anticipated tenth installment of the main Fast & Furious series of movies.
Among other things that fans are looking forward to in the film is the introduction of Jason Momoa into the franchise. The Game of Thrones and Aquaman star was cast as a yet-to-be-revealed villain in the movie earlier this year.
Momoa is not the only new addition to the film, with Daniela Melchior, Brie Larson, Rita Moreno, and Alan Ritchson all joining the already established cast line-up.
Fast & Furious is usually most associated with the character Dominic "Dom" Toretto, played by Vin Diesel since The Fast and the Furious, the very first film in the universe from 2001. In the two ensuing details, the actor has been involved in a number of controversies.
Diesel infamously fell out with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, leading to the exit of the star from the franchise.
A similar tale has been touted in the last year or so, regarding Justin Lin, who was originally meant to direct the film.
Justin Lin Has Previously Directed Five 'Fast & Furious' Movies
Justin Lin is a Taiwanese-born, American film director whose trailblazing work has seen his films to collectively gross a sum in the billions of dollars at the box office. Lin is known for movies such as Star Trek Beyond (2016) and his feature directorial debut, Better Luck Tomorrow, from all the way back in 2002.
He joined Fast & Furious for the first time in June 2005, when he was hired to direct The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, starring Lucas Black and Bow Wow. He returned once again to helm each of the following three films in the series, until Fast & Furious 6 in 2013.
Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious were directed by James Wan and F. Gary Gray respectively, before Lin resumed the role in last year's F9. As well as directing, the filmmaker also took up a writing role for that last movie, alongside Daniel Casey and Alfredo Botello.
He also penned the script for Fast X, this time helped by Dan Mazeau (Wrath of the Titans).
Justin Lin Quit 'Fast X' After Principal Photography Had Already Started
On April 21, 2022, principal photography for Fast X officially began, with Justin Lin resuming his duties as director. It wasn't too long, however, until the project was thrown into disarray with the 50-year-old announcing his departure.
"With the support of Universal, I have made the difficult decision to step back as director of FAST X, while remaining with the project as a producer," Lin said in a statement that was published on Deadline. "On a personal note, as the child of Asian immigrants, I am proud of helping to build the most diverse franchise in movie history."
At surface level, the fact that he was set to remain as a producer suggested there was no bad blood between him and the people working within the franchise. Further scrutiny of the statement, however, suggested there was a finality to this particular exit.
"I will forever be grateful to the amazing cast, crew and studio for their support, and for welcoming me into the FAST family," Lin added as he concluded his statement.
Did Vin Diesel Force Justin Lin To Quit As Director Of 'Fast X'?
According to a report published the NY Daily News shortly after Justin Lin's exit from Fast X, the director had been poised to receive a fat salary if he went through with the gig. Despite this, an apparent falling out with Vin Diesel left him with no choice but to walk away.
The story was written by columnist Richard Johnson, who quoted a veteran producer close to the production as his source. "I’ve never seen anything like it. Lin’s giving up $10 or $20 million," the producer reportedly said.
The report went to claim that Diesel had been completely unprofessional on set, and that this was what pushed Lin to the brink and beyond. "Diesel shows up late to the set," Johnson went on to write. "He doesn’t know his lines. And he shows up out of shape."
The episode brought back memories of the beef between the franchise and The Rock, with the actor having called out Diesel, once again for a perceived lack of professionalism.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, however, a source at Universal contradicted this version of events, saying that 'any creative differences leading to Justin Lin’s exit were [only] with the studio.'
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