A rumor had been circulating from The New York Daily News that writer/director Justin Lin‘s exit on “Fast X” last month was directly linked to producer/star Vin Diesel‘s unprofessionalism in allegedly showing up late to set, not learning his lines, and coming to set out of shape. While that rumbling might be true, we’re still waiting for confirmation on that story. But another tidbit concerning the drama behind the scenes has come out.
The Hollywood Reporter is claiming that Lin ultimately left the sequel, which is said to have had its production budget skyrocket to a massive $300 million, due to multiple creative clashes with both Universal and Diesel that reached a boiling point.
Lin had been writing the script thinking it would be locked as they would go into production but the studio had other ideas, bringing in another writer to polish dialogue. A meeting on April 23 was the last straw, when a “major disagreement” with Diesel occurred after the actor presented new notes. The director had enough, reportedly saying, “This movie is not worth my mental health.” By April 25, Lin and the studio had agreed upon his departure.
Universal made the following statement to THR:
“Any creative differences leading to Justin Lin’s exit were with the studio, not with fellow producers, cast, or crew.”
The outlet also highlights Diesel’s unorthodox involvement with the “writing process” when it comes to these films, as insiders tell THR that writers would pen action sequences and the actor would say “yes” or “no” to them. This would leave to the director responsible for making them fit or removing them if Diesel changed his mind at some point.
As for why the film’s budget ballooned to $300 million, it’s potentially due to high-profile actors’ salaries, both of those returning and new additions. Although, changing filming locations out of Eastern Europe due to the conflict in Ukraine and trying to secure other locations last minute along with changing sequences on the whim of Diesel may have contributed to ballooning costs as well.
Overall this information doesn’t paint the picture of the best creative environment for a writer/director when the studio seemingly doesn’t have your back, so perhaps it isn’t surprising that Lin walked away.
Yesterday, it was reported that French filmmaker Louis Leterrier (“Transporter“) would be Lin’s replacement and it remains to be seen if “Fast X” will hit its release date on May 19, 2023.