Louis Leterrier Debated Passing On Fast X Because Of The Franchise's Cult Following

The road to "Fast X" has been bumpy.

While all roads are ending with "Fast X," the latest entry in Universal Pictures' billion-dollar vehicular warfare franchise is the first for director Louis Leterrier. Most known for launching the "Now You See Me" franchise, the French filmmaker replaced director Justin Lin, who stepped away from the role during the early days of shooting in 2022. When Leterrier got the call from a Universal exec, he initially thought that it was an accidental butt dial. It was so much more than that. 

A phone call and a year later, Leterrier has brought the tenth film in the "Fast and Furious" franchise to multiplexes across the globe. While Leterrier is an accomplished filmmaker who is more than capable of breathing life into any action project, he's a "Fast and Furious" fan first. While speaking with AFP (via Kuwait Times), the filmmaker explained his relationship with the dynamite series over the years. "I was a fan, buying my ticket on the Champs Elysee in 2001, who became a director and now I'm ending the franchise," he said.

Leterrier is just one of the franchise's millions of fans, who show up in droves every couple of years to make the Universal-backed series a box office boon. Because of the series' almost cult-like following, Leterrier was hesitant to wrap it up, telling Collider that "if you fail, your name is attached, you're the guy who killed the 'Fast & Furious' franchise..."

Taking on a franchise as big as "Fast and Furious," especially with little to no prep, is a daunting challenge. Louis Leterrier explained to Collider that it didn't matter if he tried his best with "Fast X" — he had to stick the landing. "There's no poster that says, 'Well, we didn't have the budget so the movie is not as good. The schedule was bad, the weather was horrible,'" the director said. "No one cares. They judge you." Because of this monumental task, which involves wrapping up the entire "Fast and Furious" saga, Leterrier was extremely hesitant to hop on board. Despite being "terrified," the filmmaker explained that his wife convinced him to take on the job.

Did Leterier succeed? While reviews of the film have been mixed (Looper critic Dominic Griffin gave the film a 5/10), the general consensus says that the tenquel is a treat for longtime fans of the franchise. In a way, Leterrier has made the film that he wanted to see as a fan. 

Now that the film is out, Leterrier is extremely happy that he's added his name to the pantheon of "Fast" filmmakers. "I'm pumped," the creative told Esquire. "Someone said to me, 'Every time I speak to a director, they look like they lost five years of their life,' and I feel like I gained five years! 'Fast' has changed my life—and defined my life." Universal Pictures is also happy with the filmmaker, having already made the decision to bring him on board for the eleventh entry in the franchise, which will hit cinemas in 2025.