Moviefone Editorial

Tag: Fast 10

  • Director Justin Lin Leaves ‘Fast X’

    Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson in 'Fast Five,' directed by Justin Lin.
    (L to R) Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson in ‘Fast Five,’ directed by Justin Lin.

    As a franchise, the ‘Fast & Furious’ movies have sped through all manner of challenges: changing cast rosters, the clashing, outsized movie star and music egos of some of its actors and even a long delay for the last movie because of the pandemic.

    Yet somehow, none of them have screamed, “the wheels are coming off!” quite like the departure of director Justin Lin 10 days into shooting the latest installment, ‘Fast X’.

    While it is not unusual for directors to depart movies, especially big ones, the fact that one of the acknowledged architects of the ‘Fast’ series, one who has produced and directed five of the movies since kicking off his association with ‘The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift’ in 2006, has stepped away – in the middle of shooting, no less – is something of a shocker.

    “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. Over 10 years and five films, we have been able to shoot the best actors, the best stunts, and the best damn car chases,” Lin says in a statement posted to the franchise’s official twitter feed. “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.”

    So far, so diplomatic. And according to sources who spoke to the likes of Deadline, the parting was amicable, if rooted in the age-old reason of “creative differences”. It’s a little more surprising, (though again, not unheard of), for those to emerge now, while the cameras are rolling, than in the months of scripting and pre-production that precede a giant movie such as this.

    In the past few months there has been nothing but positivity from Camp Fast, albeit that’s because it’s primarily driven by star and producer Vin Diesel, who offers semi-regular updates on his Instagram page. It’s perhaps telling, though, that one recent example, shot to celebrate the end of the first week’s filming features a Lin who seems both tired and less than thrilled about participating.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CcqfJkADqkW

    At the time of writing, Diesel has made no comment on the matter, and Universal, which is about to present its upcoming slate to theater owners at this year’s CinemaCon, may be holding back until there is something to announced. Second Unit filming, also underway in London, is continuing.

    ‘Fast X’, which has kept its plot under wraps so far (though you can guess there will be outrageous car stunts, scheming villains to be thwarted and references to “family”), boasts the likes of Jason Momoa, Brie Larson and ‘The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior joining the more regular ensemble, which includes Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang and Nathalie Emmanuel, plus Charlize Theron, returning as the crafty Cipher.

    Right now, the movie is still scheduled to race into theaters on May 19th next year.

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  • ‘Fast & Furious 10’ is Titled ‘Fast X’

    'Fast X' Logo.
    ‘Fast X’ Logo. Courtesy of Vin Diesel’s Instagram account.

    Ever the one ready to reveal the slightest hint of ‘Fast & Furious’ news, Vin Diesel has once again taken to Instagram, this time with both title details and word of production cranking into gear of the tenth installment.

    So, with a drumroll that somehow also sounds like the revving of a Dodge Charger, the word arrives that the new movie is called… ‘Fast X’.

    It’s certainly a striking, short title, but offers little clues as to what the movie itself might be about. And it has, predictably, already fallen afoul of social media jokers, who have likened the title to a pill of some sort.

    Not forgetting the camp who would rather the movie have been called ‘Fast 10 Your Seatbelts’.

    Shrugging off all such concerns, Diesel simply captioned his logo image with, “Day One…” pointing to the fact that the cameras are now rolling and, if we know anything about this franchise, wheels are already turning. And likely jumping over/off things.

    Despite the regular updates from Diesel – AKA family and car-obsessed Dominic Toretto in the movies – nothing has yet been said about the plot for this latest offering of ‘Fast’ fuel.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Cck6QKJLpHS/

    Given the reportedly returning presence of Charlize Theron’s Cipher, we can reliably predict that Dom and the team will have to thwart her latest nefarious scheme (unless, of course, she’s in the process of switching to Dom’s side, though that seems unlikely for now).

    And aiding her this time around will be a new, mysterious baddie brought to booming life by Jason Momoa, who has already expressed his enthusiasm for playing an “amazing” character. “He’s ornery,” Momoa told Entertainment Tonight – when the show caught up with him at the LA premiere of ‘Ambulance’. “He’s misunderstood.” Again, we’re forced to wonder whether he might follow a traditional road of starting out as a villain but ending up helping Dom and the rest.

    Diesel’s Toretto is naturally back behind the wheel alongside an assortment of the ‘Fast’ regulars including Michelle Rodriguez as Letty, Tyrese Gibson as Roman, Ludacris as Tej, Sung Kang as Han, and Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey.

    They’ll be joined by two new faces – at least to this franchise: ‘Captain Marvel’ star and Oscar winner Brie Larson, who chalks up another big franchise and ‘The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior, both of whose characters remain a mystery for now.

    Justin Lin, who has directed more of the ‘Fast’ movies than anyone else, is back overseeing this new one and while all involved remain secretive about what we can expect, allow us to speculate that huge vehicular stunts, jokey repartee between Roman and Tej, possibly some dangerous McGuffin to be found/stopped and, of course, more references to “family” than your average Mafia miniseries.

    ‘Fast X’ will be headed into theaters on May 19th.

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  • Brie Larson Joins ‘Fast and Furious 10’

    Brie Larson as Captain Marvel
    Brie Larson as Carol Danvers in 2019’s ‘Captain Marvel.’

    When it comes to news about the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise, it’s often best to skip the usual PR announcements and just head straight to Vin Diesel’s social media feeds. Because the star and producer of the speedy franchise frequently offers up the first information about forward movement. Case in point? Revealing that Brie Larson has joined ‘Fast & Furious 10’.

    Posting a smiling picture of himself hanging out with Larson, the man who plays Dominic Toretto remarked in his trademark style about the new addition. “Yeah yeah yeah… you see this angel over my shoulder cracking me up, you say to your self [Sic] ‘that’s captain Marvel’,” Diesel wrote. “Clearly there is love and laughter in this image. What you don’t see however, is the character you will be introduced to in ‘Fast10’. You have no idea how timeless and amazing she will be in our mythology. Beyond her beauty, her intellect… her Oscar, haha is this profound soul who will add something you might not have expected but yearned for.”

    You can find the full post below…

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CcJ-Yw0rCqd

    Quite what Larson will be doing in the film is anyone’s guess, beyond Diesel’s comment about her being “timeless and amazing” and adding “something you might not have expected but yearned for.” His parting comment of “welcome to the FAMILY” suggests she might be joining Dom’s crew, but there’s always a chance she’ll be on the other side of the equation, helping Charlize Theron’s scheming Cipher. But even if she is, expect a traditional ‘Fast’ switch to Team Dom.

    It’s the latest blockbuster move for Oscar winner Larson, who is best known for playing Captain Marvel in her eponymous film and ‘Avengers: Endgame’ (plus her brief credits cameo in ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘). She’ll be back in theaters next year for ‘The Marvels,’ which will see her Carol Danvers sharing the screen with Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel (who has her own Disney+ series starting June 8) and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, the adult version of the character we met in ‘WandaVision’.

    ‘Fast 10’, meanwhile, has been busy adding various actors to its cast ahead of director Justin Lin starting shooting soon. Jason Momoa and ‘The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior are both already aboard and set to share the screen with returning ‘Fast’ regulars Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sung Kang.

    The plot for the movie remains a mystery, but who are we kidding? Few people are looking to the ‘Fast’ franchise for its plot – we go for the massive, physics-mocking vehicular set pieces, banter between the cast, Diesel’s Dominic Toretto growling about “family” at every given opportunity and the wide array of twists and turns.

    ‘Fast 10’ is planned as the beginning of the end for the franchise, with a May 19, 2023 release date on the books and a follow-up film that will wrap up the story. We’d be shocked if Diesel and co. take their foot off the gas completely after that, though: the ‘Fast’ movies have been too lucrative for that. Expect spin-offs and other ways to keep things moving beyond that.

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  • Jason Momoa Co-Creating New TV Series ‘Chief of War’

    Jason Momoa at Oscars
    Jason Momoa presents the Oscar® for Animated Short Film during the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.

    Jason Momoa already has a healthy working relationship with Apple’s TV+ arm thanks to his starring role as blind warrior Baba Voss in the dystopian sci-fi series ‘See’.

    He’s looking to keep that going by co-creating and starring in a new show for the company, one that will draw from his Hawaiian heritage. Momoa is set to headline a series called ‘Chief of War’.

    Co-created by Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, the pair will write the eight-episode initial order and serve as executive producers along with Francis Lawrence, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Erik Holmberg, and Doug Jung. The latter is handling showrunner duties on the new series.

    Justin Chon, who most recently made ‘Blue Bayou’, and worked on episodes of another Apple series, multi-generational family drama ‘Pachinko’ is reportedly in negotiations to handle the first two episodes of the new show.

    ‘Chief of War’s story is largely a mystery for now, but according to Apple it will be an “epic and unprecedented telling of the unification and colonization of Hawaii from an indigenous point of view.” Which is both a topic and a focus that has been sorely lacking on screens both big and small.

    Talking to the Associated Press, Momoa describes the series as potentially the “pinnacle” of his career. “It’s my ‘Dances with Wolves’, it’s my ‘Braveheart’ he says in an interview. You can find his full statement below:

    The show also cements another working partnership for the actor – his collaboration with Pa’a Sibbett. They co-wrote the story for the upcoming movie ‘The Last Manhunt,’ with Momoa appearing onscreen in a supporting role. Momoa starred in ‘Braven’ in 2018, which was co-written by Pa’a Sibbett.

    And if you only know him as a leading man, Momoa has had some other creative experience behind the camera already, including co-writing, directing, and starring in the 2014 movie ‘Road to Paloma.’

    It’s a typically busy time for Momoa in terms of movies – he’s wrapped on superhero sequel ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ for director James Wan and has also worked on family adventure comedy ‘Slumberland’, which sees a young girl discover a mysterious fantasy realm of dreams and nightmares, where she has to team up with an eccentric outlaw to save the day. That movie, perhaps not-so-coincidentally, is directed by ‘Chief of War’ producer Francis Lawrence.

    Momoa is also scheduled to start work this year on ‘Fast & Furious 10’, in which he’ll play a villain causing problems for Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto and the gang.

    And in more nebulous form is his latest team up with ‘See’ Season 2 recurring villain Dave Bautista, with the pair planning a buddy comedy along the lines of ‘Lethal Weapon’ in which the actors would play brothers for a story set in Hawaii. ‘The Adam Project’s Jonathan Tropper is attached to write that movie.

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  • Daniela Melchior Added to ‘Fast 10’

    Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher
    Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher in ‘The Suicide Squad.’

    Talk about a fast rise to big movies: Daniel Melchior, who made her big Hollywood debut with ‘The Suicide Squad’ last year, is heading for another hefty franchise, as The Wrap reports she’s joining the cast of ‘Fast & Furious 10’.

    The increasingly physics-denying movie series (they went to orbit in the last one) is preparing to wrap up its current run with a one-two punch of the next two films.

    With Vin Diesel as usual producing and starring, most of ‘Fast 10’ is under wraps right now. All we really know right now is that veteran ‘Fast’ director Justin Lin is back at the steering wheel after also making the last movie.

    ‘Fast 10’s story is being kept quiet, though you just know it’ll involve speedy vehicles, ridiculous stunts, a big threat plus plenty of moments of the cast bonding over BBQs and bottles of Corona.

    Diesel will be delivering his usual gravely dialogue (and references to family) as Dominic Toretto, joined by regulars Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Sung Kang, whose Han returned, having escaped his apparent death in third outing ‘Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift’.

    One person who likely won’t be showing up is Dwayne Johnson, who has been in a less-than-subtle rift with Diesel during the last few years and seems content to either appear in ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ spin-off movies or stick to his own franchises.

    'The Fate of the Furious' Cast
    (L to R) Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, and Jason Statham in ‘The Fate of the Furious.’

    As for his ‘Hobbs’ co-star Jason Statham, he appears more likely to return to the main movies following a credits sting that saw his Deckard Shaw confronted by Han. Those with a memory for the various ‘Fast’ twists and turns will recall that it was Shaw who was responsible for Han’s “death”. Hopefully they’ll be able to work it out before someone ends up dead. Again.

    Or not. Look, it’s confusing.

    Still, to beef up the muscle factor, the new movie is adding Jason Momoa, with the ‘Aquaman’ star reportedly playing a villain. He’s said that he’s thrilled to be joining the ‘Fast’ family and if tradition holds, he’ll only be a bad guy for so long before he ends up joining forces with Dom and co. – so far, only Charlize Theron’s Cypher has resisted the urge to switch sides.

    In addition to her praised turn as Cleo Cazo AKA Ratcatcher 2, Melchior dubbed the voice of Gwen Stacey in Portuguese for ‘Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’ and has a couple of other movies coming up.

    She stars alongside Henry Golding, Sam Neill and Noomi Rapace in ‘Assassin Club’ and has a role in Liam Neeson thriller “Marlowe.’

    ‘Fast & Furious 10’ – whatever it tends up being subtitled (‘Fast 10 Forward’ is probably too ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ unless they plan on having Whoopi Goldberg show up) – is scheduled to drive up to theaters on May 19 next year. The 11th movie could be shot concurrently, though that doesn’t seem to be the plan right now.

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