Vin Diesel as Dom in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier.
Just when you though the ‘Fast & Furious’ team had really, truly finalized plans to wrap the franchise up (while still, of course, leaving the car door open for future spin-offs etc.) with the already-announced 11th entry as a two parter with this week’s ‘Fast X’ along comes star/producer Vin Diesel teasing that there could well be at least one more movie.
Team ‘Fast’ headed to Rome shortly before the weekend for a big press event to promote the movie (which makes sense, since a chunk of the film takes place in the city).
Interviewed by Fandango about a possible future for the franchise, Diesel said this,
“It’s a really good question. As filmmakers, you want to allow people to enjoy the film without tipping the hat too much. I can say this. Going into making this movie, the studio had asked if this could be a two-parter. And after the studio saw this, part one, they said, could you make ‘Fast X’, the finale, a trilogy?”
Diesel and co-star Michelle Rodriguez wouldn’t be drawn on whether it’ll happen for sure, though Diesel did say, “probably”.
You can see the full video here:
WATCH: On the red carpet in Rome, Italy, did Vin Diesel just confirm that #FastX is the first part of a… trilogy?! Whoa! It all begins in theaters a week from today. Ready, set… go get your tickets! 🚘🎟's —> https://t.co/jO68lUJ5h6pic.twitter.com/2DiJsYkgUz
Of course, even though Diesel has an awful lot of say over developments in the ‘Fast’ world, it’s up to Universal whether this actually happens. But we can certainly see the studio happy to keep its most successful franchise motoring.
Our guess –– and this is purely speculation –– is that executives are waiting to see the box office results of ‘Fast X’ before making any final decision.
Jason Momoa is Dante in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier.
Directed by Louis Leterrier (who replaced Justin Lin) ‘Fast X’ picks up with Dom and his crew as they look to fend off the pair of big bads — the cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron) and her mysterious cohort, Dante (Jason Momoa), who, it turns out, has a link to another previous franchise antagonist, the drug kingpin Reyes, played in ‘Fast Five’ by Joaquim de Almeida.
Dante, as the trailers for ‘Fast X’ have already revealed, is the son of Reyes, and has spent the time since ‘Fast Five’ plotting his revenge against Dom and co.
Dom and the usual gang will need help of a new friend, Tess (Brie Larson), who has her own connections to a supporting ‘Fast’ character.
And original franchise star Paul Walker’s daughter Meadow will appear in the film in a cameo to “honor” the legacy of her late father, as she revealed on social media last week.
‘Fast X’, as mentioned, is due in theaters on Friday. The 11th film (with Leterrier returning) has yet to announce a release date but is likely headed our way in 2025.
(L to R) Jason Momoa and Vin Diesel star in ‘Fast X.’ Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures.
‘Fast X’ is produced by Universal Pictures, Original Film, One Race, and Perfect Storm Entertainment. It is set to premiere in theaters on May 19th, 2023.
After an attack from Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) injures Rocket, the Guardians learn of his origins and confront his creator, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Meanwhile, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still coming to terms with the “new” Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), who is now a Ravager. In order to save their friend, the Guardians must go on a dangerous mission that could lead to the team dissolving if they fail.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3?’
Joining the cast are actors Chukwudi Iwuji (‘Peacemaker‘) as the High Evolutionary, and Will Poulter (‘We’re the Millers‘) as Adam Warlock.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and director James Gunn and Chris Pratt about their work on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3,’ telling Rocket’s story, what the franchise has meant to Pratt, and what fans can expect from the new film.
(L to R) James Gunn and Chris Pratt attend the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Gunn and Pratt.
Moviefone: To begin with, James, what would you tell fans sitting down to watch this movie now to prepare them for the theater experience they are about to have?
James Gunn: I know so many of you have grown up with ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ So many of you have seen and supported us over the years. We’re so grateful to you for that and we really put our hearts and souls in this movie. We put in every ounce of everything we could, and I hope you guys enjoy it from the bottom of my heart.
Marvel Studio’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
MF: Chris, what would you say to the fans to get them ready for this movie?
Chris Pratt: First of all, I’d say thank you. Thank you. You sitting down in these seats right now are the reason the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ are the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ We’ve been able to full on live our dreams because of the support of the greatest fans in the world. Thank you so much. We really owe it all to you. James is extraordinary. He’s led me on this journey and he’s created what I think is the best of the three films. Buckle up and I hope you have some tissues nearby.
MF: James, can you talk about the decision to tell Rocket’s origin story in this movie and how his journey is the heart of the franchise?
JG: I’ve always thought of Rocket as sort of the heart of the ‘Guardian’s story. In a lot of ways he’s the least mature of the characters, he’s just been a very angry guy. I think that throughout the series we see characters do heroic things. Rocket does heroic things, but it’s only been for himself or for his friends. He doesn’t really have a sense of empathy for anyone beyond that, and this is a movie about how he became that way. We go back to where he was born, how he came about, how he was created by the High Evolutionary, and we learn everything about him and his tragic past.
(L to R) Karen Gillan as Nebula, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
MF: Finally, Chris, can you talk about your ‘Guardians’ experience, what playing Star-Lord, working on this franchise, and creating friendships with the cast and James has meant to you?
CP: It’s just now starting to hit me how grateful I am to have had a friend in James. It’s been amazing. He’s made my life. He’s changed my life. He’s changed the life of me and my family, my children, and probably their children. He took me by the hand. He found a working actor who had already at that point done way better than most people who come out to town. I wasn’t a waiter any longer, I was a series regular on a show. I was getting recognition. He brought me to a whole new level that ultimately changed the entire way the industry saw me. I no longer was auditioning. That was the last audition I ever had. So he changed my life.
(L to R) Writer and director James Gunn and Chris Pratt from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’
Other Movies Similar to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:’
Witten and directed by James Gunn, the Sci-Fi action adventure comedy ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is scheduled for release from Marvel Studios on May 5th 2023.
But before either of those happened along, there was Riddick, and breakout sci-fi action thriller ‘Pitch Black’. Now, after a few years of occasional chatter from Diesel and writer/director David Twohy, it looks like a fourth entry for the Riddick saga might finally be happening.
‘Pitch Black’, of course, was followed by the bloated and less satisfying 2004 sequel ‘The Chronicles of Riddick’, before the series returned to its stripped-down roots in 2013’s ‘Riddick’. Now it appears even Riddick is going back to his own roots with ‘Riddick: Furya.’
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In the story, according to Deadline, Riddick finally returns to his home world, a place he barely remembers and one he fears might be left in ruins by the Necromongers. But there he finds other Furyans fighting for their existence against a new enemy. And some of these Furyans are more like Riddick than he could have ever imagined… Which makes us think there could be cloning involved.
Commenting on the new development, Twohy said,
“Our legion of fans have demanded it for years, and now we’re finally ready to honor their call to action with ‘Riddick: Furya’. My collaboration with Vin and One Race has spanned 20 fruitful years, as together we’ve created three movies, two video games, an anime production, and motion comics for the internet. This new big-screen event will see a return to Riddick’s homeworld, where we finally get to explore Riddick’s genesis.”
The rights will be on sale at this month’s European Film Market, kicking off next week. While Universal released the first three movies, there’s no mention of the studio’s involvement yet.
(Center) Vin Diesel in 2004’s ‘The Chronicles of Riddick.’
Diesel’s burly, cranky character first appeared in ‘Pitch Black’ as a convict in a ship transporting different groups of people that crashes on a planet filled with bloodthirsty creatures––the twist being, the critters only come out at night, and this is a planet with three suns. Unfortunately, a total solar eclipse is on the way… Riddick is genetically modified with eyes that are very sensitive to light, giving him an advantage over the others in battling the monsters.
‘The Chronicles of Riddick’ attempted to expand Riddick’s mythology, broadening the scope and putting the title character up against the evil Necromongers on a prison planet. It might have featured the likes of Judi Dench in its cast, but the larger movie didn’t receive as many plaudits––at least, not until its home entertainment director’s cut releases.
The surprise success of that led to ‘Riddick’, which returned to the series’ origins and once more placed Riddick on a desolate planet with a lot of nasty beasts and some dangerous humanoids to boot.
Riddick’s movies have spawned several video games, a TV prequel special and plans for other spin-offs that have yet to materialize. ‘Riddick: Furya’ marks the first concrete forward movement in years. But then, Riddick always was a survivor…
(L to R) Vin Diesel and Judi Dench in 2004’s ‘The Chronicles of Riddick.’
Marvel Comics’ Adam Warlock. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
If you’ve watched the moody trailer for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’, you’ll know that the third ‘Guardians’ outing, once again written and directed by James Gunn, promises to be an emotional capper to at least this incarnation of the team.
Though Gunn insists that it’s not some huge cull that will leave everyone permanently off the board (particularly as, thanks to their participation in the ‘Avengers’ movies, they’re important to the fabric of the MCU), it seems like we’ll be saying goodbye to more than one member (and comments by Dave Bautista about leaving Drax behind makes us suspect he could either die heroically or sail off somewhere else in the universe).
And one of the biggest issues that the Guardians––Bautista’s Drax, Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill, Zoe Saldana’s Gamora, Karen Gillan’s Nebula and Pom Klementieff’s Mantis, plus CG characters Rocket Racoon (brought to life by Sean Gunn in performance capture and voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel)––will face is Adam Warlock, played by British actor Will Poulter.
Created by gold-hued Sovereign leader Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) after the Guardians double-crossed her in ‘Vol. 2’, Warlock promises that this prime example of the Sovereign race will destroy our morally changeable heroes. He’s a powerful warrior… But is he entirely a bad guy?
“It’s kind of more complicated than that,” Gunn tells Empire. “But he’s definitely not a good guy. What we’re seeing is the infant form of Warlock, newly out of the cocoon, and he does not understand life very well. He’s basically a baby.”
Will Poulter as Adam Warlock in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.
After a long search for the right actor to bring him to life, Gunn settled on Poulter, known for films such as the ‘Maze Runner’ movies and, more recently, horror title ‘Midsommar’.
“People online were saying, ‘Oh, Tom Cruise should be Adam Warlock,’” says Gunn. “I wanted somebody who was youthful, and I wanted the person who had the dramatic chops and the comedic chops, not only for this movie but for what Marvel will use Adam Warlock for in the future. He could become this really important character.”
Yes, in true Marvel style, Warlock looks to be hanging around the MCU for a while yet, and he’ll certainly be handy for the future of the Multiverse Saga, which is the overarching title for Phases four, five and six.
For now, though, we’ll have to wait and see how Warlock pans out in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’, which will also feature Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary, who promises to be even more of a problem for our heroes.
The special follows Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) as they set out to give Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) the best Christmas ever, after discovering that Yondu (Michael Rooker) ruined the holiday for him as a child. So, the two Guardians travel to Earth to kidnap Peter’s childhood hero, the ‘Footloose’ actor Kevin Bacon (playing himself), as the ultimate gift for Peter.
The result is a fun and heartwarming holiday special, and while the plot is somewhat predictable, it features great alternative Christmas music, a funny Kevin Bacon performance, and tees up ‘Guardians Vol. 3’ perfectly.
Pound for pound, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is probably my favorite MCU movie, and the story was expanded well in ‘Guardians Vol. 2.’ But those two movies take place back to back, and with ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’ taking place before ‘Guardians Vol. 3,’ and the untimely firing and rehiring of Gunn by Disney, I’ve been concerned that the third ‘Guardians’ movie would not be what the filmmaker originally conceived for the trilogy. Remember, had Gunn not been fired, ‘Guardians Vol. 3,’ would have been released towards the beginning of Phase Four rather than the end.
Also, with the original Gamora (Zoe Saldana) dead, and a younger version of her running around the universe, this is not the Guardians team we began with and the ‘Holiday Special’ does a great job of setting up where our characters will be when ‘Vol. 3’ begins.
The Guardians now comprise of Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, Nebula (Karen Gillan), Kraglin (Sean Gunn), Rocket (Voice of Bradley Cooper), new member Cosmo the Spacedog (Voiced for the first time by Maria Bakalova) and Groot (Voiced by Vin Diesel), who is now in his late teens but almost fully grown. We soon discover that they have inherited Nowhere from the Collector (Benicio del Toro) and are helping the locals rebuild their community. Other Marvel secrets revealed include the identity of Mantis’ father, and that Gamora is still missing at the time of the special.
Since this is a Disney+ special, and not a theatrical movie, obviously it did not have the same budget as other ‘Guardians’ films, but for the most part it never compromises the project. However, there were two scenes that could have used more effects work.
The movie begins with a flashback to Peter’s first Christmas with Yondu, and crude animation is used instead of live-action. One can assume this is because Michael Rooker is not in ‘Guardians Vol. 3,’ and was not available on set when they shot the special. The animation is rough, which matches Peter’s foggy memory, but distracted from the rest of the production. If animation was the only way to go with this sequence, using similar animation to the Disney+ series ‘What If…?’ would have fit the project better.
While Rocket and Groot are used sparingly, probably for budget reasons, Rocket looks good and is on par with his big screen appearances. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Groot, who at times looks more like the theme park character at Disneyland. In the special, Groot looks like someone in a rubber suit, rather than the CGI character we are used to.
But it’s the music, holiday themes, our beloved characters, and Gunn’s unique storytelling style that puts the “Special” in ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.’ Gunn clearly understands the spirit of Christmas and knows what works in a project like this, with obvious influences from holiday specials of the past like 1964’s ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ 1966’s ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!,’ and of course, 1978’s ‘Star Wars Holiday Special.’
The filmmaker also fills the special with non-traditional Christmas music like “Christmastime” by The Smashing Pumpkins or The Pogues’ classic song, “Fairytale of New York.” The underrated rock band the Old 97’s actually makes an appearance as an alien rock group on Nowhere learning about Christmas, and has a great performance at the end of the special with Kevin Bacon, who don’t forget is a musician himself.
Bacon is great playing a confused version of himself when Drax and Mantis abduct him, and he eventually befriends the whole group, becoming an honorary Guardian, which is fitting. The actor, who appeared in Gunn’s ‘Super,’ is a good sport spoofing his own persona and clearly understands what Gunn was aiming for. It’s also worth noting that Bacon’s real-life wife, actress Kyra Sedgwick makes a vocal cameo in the project.
As far as the core actors, Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff have the largest roles, and have become a fantastic comedic team over the last few films. Drax and Mantis’ platonic friendship is one of the most engaging relationships in the franchise, and I’m intrigued to see where it goes in the next installment.
But the other Guardians have smaller roles. Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord does not have a lot to do but react to Mantis and Drax’s spontaneous Christmas, which he is emotionally touched by until he realizes that they kidnapped Kevin Bacon! Pratt’s basically just there to react, but has a touching scene with Mantis at the end, which I imagine will have large repercussions moving forward.
While Sean Gunn’s Kraglin is involved in the retelling of Peter’s first Christmas with Yondu, he’s basically in the background with Karen Gillan’s Nebula, who could have had a larger role. I also would have liked to see more interaction between Rocket and Groot, two fan-favorites, but we’ll have to wait for the next movie as Rocket mostly shares his scenes with Cosmo the Spacedog, who was originally introduced in the first film. But it was nice to get a tease of ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’s Maria Bakalova as the voice of Cosmo.
In the end, ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ may not be the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.5’ fans were hoping for, but it is a very funny and entertaining Christmas special that should offer enough character interaction, humor, and music to hold fans over until ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ hits theaters on May 5th, 2023.
‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.
Even as its live-action offerings continue to expand (‘She-Hulk’ is next up on the roster), Disney and Marvel are not neglecting the animated side of their televisual universe.
At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, the Marvel team offered a blend of announcements, confirmations and new details on their various animated series.
‘What If…?’ of course, has already had its first season out on the streaming service, will be back for more early next year. The panel included a screening of one episode of Season 2, plus news that Season 3 has just been commissioned. Season 2 includes episodes featuring characters such as ‘Thor: Ragnarok’s Hela.
The Zombies episode of ‘What If…?’ was a popular one among fans, so of course the MCU is spinning that one off. ‘Marvel Zombies’, also inspired by the 2005 comics run, takes place in an alternate reality where a new generation of heroes must battle against a zombie apocalypse.
That show is overseen by executive producer Bryan Andrews (who directs) and written by fellow executive producer Zeb Wells.
San Diego Comic-Con 2022 Marvel Animation panel.
Further away in terms of release is ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year’, the new Spidey cartoon series.
Originally announced on Disney+ Day last year, ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year’ is an animated series that follows Peter Parker on his way to becoming Spider-Man in the MCU, with a journey unlike we’ve ever seen and a style that celebrates the character’s early comic book roots. With Jeff Trammel as head writer, the show will be set before the events of ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and naturally sees Peter wearing a version of his earlier, more homemade suit.
Jeff Trammell teased the show with the cast of characters, and Ryan Meinerding showed off the new Spider-Man suit designed for the series. A fun reveal was that moderator Paul F. Tompkins will be playing a character in the series. A second season was also announced, aptly titled ‘Spider-Man: Sophomore Year.’
We learned at the panel that Charlie Cox is aboard to voice Matt Murdock/Daredevil in the series, though there’s no word on whether Tom Holland is playing Peter (he’s said before he’d be happy to do it). Doctor Strange was also featured in the artwork shown at the panel.
‘Freshman Year’ will debut on Disney+ in 2024.
Before that, we’ll see one of the more anticipated offerings, ‘X-Men ’97’. Written and produced by Beau DeMayo, it’ll further the legacy of the 1990s ‘X-Men: The Animated Series’ and, to the delight of fans in the audience at the Con, will indeed feature the iconic theme music.
San Diego Comic-Con 2022 Marvel Animation panel.
While the show is still in an unfinished state, DeMayo brought artwork and an animatic, and announced that a Season 2 is also being figured out.
‘X-Men ’97’ heads to Disney+ in Fall 2023.
On the sillier and more adorable side of things, we have ‘I Am Groot’, which spins off the toddler version of the leafy ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ character. Voiced, as usual by Vin Diesel, the five initial shorts while chronicles his glory days growing up — and getting into trouble — among the stars.
Written, produced and directed by Kirsten Lepore the Groot shorts, teased in the first trailer for the show, offer the chance for limited dialogue fun as Groot encounters other creatures – and has problems with them!
Bradley Cooper is back to voice Rocket and Lepore announced that a further five shorts are now in the works.
The first batch will take root on Disney+ on August 10th.
Rita Moreno in the documentary ‘Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It.’
In keeping with how most people find out about anything ‘Fast & Furious’, the most recent – and potentially most exciting – piece of casting news comes courtesy of Vin Diesel’s Instagram.
The enthusiastic actor/producer hit social media with a video announcing that none other than Oscar winner and acting legend Rita Moreno is aboard ‘Fast X’, joining the ever-growing ensemble as Dominic Toretto’s (Diesel) grandmother.
“It’s been my dream forever to work with Rita Moreno, and the fact that she’s here playing my grandmother makes my soul smile,” Diesel says in the video.
“I think my old age was waiting for you to ask me, isn’t that nice, and I’m here, the answer is yes, I’ll do it, and not only I’ll do it, I am tickled,” Moreno responds.
It’s a lovefest! Which is in stark contrast to some of the other videos shot on set of the movie, with uncomfortable-looking co-stars (and former director Justin Lin) appearing to resent having to show up on camera with Diesel.
Casting Moreno represents just the latest addition to the ‘Fast’ team for this new movie, which has already seen the likes of Brie Larson, Jason Momoa, Daniela Melchior and ‘Reacher’s Alan Ritchson making their debut in the franchise.
In addition to the regulars, ‘The Fate of the Furious’ Scott Eastwood (as the government agent codenamed Little Nobody) plus ‘F9’s Michael Rooker (as mechanic/Toretto family friend Buddy) and Cardi B (as paramilitary leader Leysa) are also all back in the fold.
Moreno, of course, needs little introduction. An actor with decades of experience, she’s also known for her singing and dancing skills. She won an Oscar for her performance as Anita in 1961’s ‘West Side Story’, and notched acclaim for appearing in Steven Spielberg’s version of the same movie last year, albeit playing a different role. She’s also an “EGOT” – having won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. And now she could be up for the MTV Movie Awards as Coolest Granny On Film.
She’s someone Diesel has been trying to get on board for a while now. Interviewed by Variety last year, the actor and Lin discussed the idea of Dom’s mother showing up but pivoted to talk of his grandmother. “Before we get to Mother Toretto, we will get to Abuela,” Diesel says. “And the person that I’m so excited to talk about that role is Rita Moreno.’”
For her part, Moreno seemed up for it at the time. “I’m waiting for his call,” she laughed. “I think it’s a fabulous idea. I hope he puts me in black leather…” Let’s see if that last part comes true!
‘Fast X’ has had to weather some recent drama, with Lin stepping away from the movie, to be replaced by Louis Leterrier. The switch has caused a brief shutdown in production, but the movie is back up and shooting now.
With luck, ‘Fast X’ will still be speeding into theaters on May 19th next year.
‘Fast X’ Logo. Courtesy of Vin Diesel’s Instagram account.
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(L to R) Britt Robertson and Scott Eastwood in 2015’s ‘The Longest Ride.’
Having seemingly sped around (or, given this franchise, though) its director departure roadblock, the Fast & Furious’ franchise is well and truly back in high gear. The latest installment, ‘Fast X’ is recruiting from among its deep bench of previous cast members, as Scott Eastwood will return for the new movie.
Eastwood appeared in ‘Fate of the Furious’, the eighth installment, directed by F. Gary Gray and released in 2017. His character was a rule-following government agent who is frequently seen with his boss, Mr. Nobody, a shady manipulator played by Kurt Russell.
Does this mean that Russell – whose character was briefly a plot point in last year’s ‘F9: The Fast Saga’ – will also return? No one is saying yet. But you wouldn’t be wrong if you started speculating that the slick Nobody could once again feature.
Speculation is pretty much all we have at this point when it comes to the plot of ‘Fast X’. With Louis Leterrier now on board to direct, the story will likely see Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto and the rest of the ‘Fast’ family tackling another big threat from the likes of Charlize Theron’s calculating Cipher.
Alongside Diesel, the returning cast also includes such core names as Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Sung Kang. Michael Rooker as mechanic and Toretto family friend Buddy) and Cardi B (as paramilitary leader Leysa) are reportedly back from ‘F9’. Given Buddy’s presence, that could point to redeemed villain John Cena’s Jakob Toretto also popping up, but the ‘Fast’ team have revealed nothing about his possible appearance.
(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.’
While Justin Lin left the director’s job a couple of weeks into shooting over creative and script differences, he’s still attached as a producer and wrote the screenplay with Dan Mazeau (though we’re fairly certain it has since gone through some changes).
Eastwood, who followed his famous father into the film business, is best known for movies including ‘Pacific Rim: Uprising’, ‘Suicide Squad’ and ‘The Longest Ride’. He was most recently seen in Prime Video’s romantic comedy ‘I Want You Back’. Along with ‘Fast X’, he’s also filming LA riots drama ‘April 29, 1992’, in which a shopkeeper must save his son from an angry mob in the wake of the Rodney King verdict.
Despite the delays, it seems that ‘Fast X’ is still on track to make it into theaters on May 19th next year. It’ll be followed by a second movie, which will wrap up both the story of these last two entries and, according to Diesel, bring the franchise as a whole to a close. At least until the various spin-offs start their engines…
‘Fast X’ Logo. Courtesy of Vin Diesel’s Instagram account.
As with all the other casting announcements, we don’t yet know what Ritchson will be doing in the movie – whether he’ll be riding alongside Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto and his team, or joining the side of the villains, which in this case are represented by a returning Charlize Theron as Cipher, joined by Jason Momoa’s mysterious character.
Most of the news about the new movie has been mixed – director Justin Lin left after roughly two weeks’ worth of filming, citing the industry-standard “creative differences” which have reportedly included clashes with Diesel (who is a controlling producer on the movies and sees himself as their guardian as well as their star) and the studio on scripts.
Alan Ritchson in Prime Video’s ‘Jack Reacher.’
The differences are all the more surprising since Lin is A) a veteran shepherd of the movies, having directed several of them and B) one of the credited writers on the current film’s script alongside Dan Mazeau. He’s still involved as a producer.
Ritchson feels like he could fit into the movie without much hassle – he’s used to getting into fights on screen and there’s always some muscular rumbling to be found amidst the speedy action. Yet will he make his mark and stick around, or be reduced to a one-and-done (so far) like Scott Eastwood?
Aside from ‘Reacher’, Ritchson was previously known for playing Gloss in ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ and for donning performance capture gear to bring Raphael to life in the two recent live action/CGI ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ movies.
He’s also stepped behind the camera to write and direct last year’s ‘Dark Web: Cicada 3301’.
Ritchson has been at work on new, based-on-truth drama ‘Ordinary Angels’, in which he’ll appear opposite Hilary Swank. That movie doesn’t yet have a release date listed.
‘Fast X’, meanwhile, assuming the director swap hasn’t impacted its schedule too much, will be driving in theaters on May 19th next year.
‘Fast X’ Logo. Courtesy of Vin Diesel’s Instagram account.
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Since cast and crew were already in the UK filming, every day’s delay on the movie means costs continued to build and with no director in place, only second-unit work has gone ahead.
According to reports, it’s all now a matter of working on the finer points of Leterrier’s deal and shifting his schedule around so he can fly out and start the movie machine cranking again.
Directing a ‘Fast’ movie is not a job for the fearful or inexperienced: these are gigantic productions, full of many moving parts (not just the cars) and come with even bigger expectations given the billions that the franchise has made so far.
There’s also the matter of working alongside star and self-appointed ‘Fast’ guiding light Vin Diesel, who, as a producer and lead actor on the series, has a say in everything that goes into these films.
Louis Letterier is set to direct ‘Fast X.’
The Hollywood Reporter has a story up that peeks behind the scenes of Lin’s exit, and a lot of the tension that led to his departure can be tied to Diesel’s endless input and the ever-shifting nature of the movies.
Despite the fact that Lin is widely regarded as one of the main creative forces on the ‘Fast’ franchise – he came aboard for ‘Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift’ and has directed five of the entries, including true franchise gear shift ‘Fast Five’, issues between the director and Diesel came to a head on the new movie.
Lin had been even more involved than usual this time, writing the script with Dan Mazeau. Yet Diesel’s demands for changes and the studio reportedly flying in at least one other writer to polish the dialogue left Lin feeling ignored and exhausted, especially as he jumped into working on the new movie shortly after finishing ‘F9: The Fast Saga’.
Sources reported that a meeting between Diesel, Lin and two others ended with Lin saying, “This movie is not worth my mental health,” before leaving. He then organized a way to diplomatically leave the movie entirely, sending out a statement through the franchise’s official channels.
Leterrier at least has his action movie background and the ability to oversee big productions (he more recently worked on Netflix’s ‘Dark Crystal’ prequel series), but he’ll need all his experience, luck, and patience on this one.
‘Fast X’ is currently still scheduled to speed into theaters on May 19th next year, but we’ll see if this speed bump changes anything.
