Longtime Fast & Furious helmer Justin Lin has stepped down as director of Fast X, the popular action franchise's upcoming 10th main installment. That being said, he will remain attached to the project as a producer.
"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 wrote in a statement posted to the official Fast & Furious Instagram account. "Over 10 years and five films, we have been able to shoot the best actors, the best stunts, and the best damn car chases. On a personal note, as the child of Asian immigrants, I am proud of helping to build the most diverse franchise in movie history. I will forever be grateful to the amazing cast, crew and studio for their support, and for welcoming me into the Fast family."
Lin joined Universal Pictures' Fast Saga in 2006, directing the franchise's third film, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. He subsequently directed 2009's Fast & Furious, 2011's Fast Five and 2013's Fast & Furious 6. Lin later returned to helm 2021's F9, bringing his total number of Fast features up to five. He was also announced to be directing both Fast X and the still-untitled Fast & Furious 11. It is currently unknown exactly why Lin opted to step back from Fast X, as well as if he will still direct Fast 11.
The Fast Saga kicked off in 2001 with The Fast and the Furious, directed by Rob Cohen. Director John Singleton stepped up to helm the 2003 sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious. Following Lin's initial tetralogy of Fast films, James Wan directed 2015's Furious 7 and F. Gary Gray directed 2017's The Fate of the Furious, which was followed up by Lin's F9 in 2021. Outside the main series, David Leitch directed the 2019 spinoff film Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.
The now-directorless Fast X entered production just a few days ago on April 20 and is currently slated to premiere in theaters on May 19, 2023. Meanwhile, Fast & Furious 11 is reportedly targeting a February 2024 premiere. Fast X features a number of newcomers to Universal's action franchise, including Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad) and Brie Larson (Captain Marvel).
Fast X races into theaters on May 19, 2023.