Fast X: Part 2 is the focus of a revealing new report, which claims the film is facing trouble due to its lack of script and disagreements over the budget. The tenth installment in the mainline Fast & Furious franchise hit theaters in 2023, ending on a cliffhanger that set up what is expected to be a final outing for Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto and crew.
It was initially believed that Fast X: Part 2 would release in 2025, but this then became 2026, with Diesel recently saying that the film is now eyeing an April 2027 bow. Despite this, the sequel doesn’t yet have an official release date from Universal, and it remains unclear when production will start.
A new report from WSJ sheds light on the situation facing Fast X: Part 2, and the film is said to be without a completed script. Budget is also a concern for the film after Fast X, which had a massive reported price tag of $340 million, yet had the lowest domestic ticket sales for the franchise since 2006.
According to those close to the production, the most recent draft of the Part 2 script would require a budget of about $250 million, but the studio doesn’t want to make the movie for more than $200 million. Cast is a major part of the budget, with Diesel said to make around $25 million per installment, and other supporting members fetching between $2 and $10 million.
In order to find $50 million in savings, Universal is reportedly looking to limit global filming locations while also giving some cast members reduced roles, or having them not appear at all. Presently, there are no deals in place for any cast members to return. Of the film, producer Neal Moritz said the following:
“The only thing we’re focused on is making this a satisfying finale both creatively and financially.”
Fast X: Part 2’s Budget Problem Explained
Fast X‘s budget ballooned to $340 million in part because of complications arising from COVID-19, but the film’s abundance of expensive CGI, the star-studded cast, and Justin Lin’s exit as director also contributed. The film grossed $704 million worldwide, a disappointing result given the studio was likely hoping for a gross equal to at least three times the budget.
Of the next installment, Diesel has declared multiple times now that, after the Fast X ending, Part 2 will be bringing the action back to LA, with the film said to call back to the franchise’s street-racing roots. The problem with an LA production, of course, is the state’s high labor costs and tax credits that aren’t as strong as elsewhere in the country.
Creatively, the Fast saga has also faced hurdles. Fast X reviews were mixed, as were those for F9: The Fast Saga (2021). Universal Chairperson Donna Langley even lamented the latter film’s outer space subplot while at TIFF this year, stating: “I’m sorry we sent them into space. We can never get that genie back.”
The creative and financial problems facing the next installment are perhaps best explained by Stacey Snider, who ran Universal when the first Fast & Furious movie released in 2001:
“It was about fast cars and girls in short shorts. It wasn’t designed to be a 25-year franchise.”
Despite the challenges, those close to the production are reportedly hoping that Fast X: Part 2 will enter production next spring, which would allow it to make Diesel’s announced April 2027 date.
Where Universal Wants To Take Fast & Furious Next
The WSJ report also provides an idea of what Universal hopes to do with the franchise in the future. Writers are said to be currently working on scripts for a live-action Fast & Furious TV show, though cast and story remain unknown.
In terms of movies, executives are reportedly discussing spinoff films for certain existing characters. There’s also talk of a lower-budget movie project, with the aim of attracting a new generation of viewers. Before that happens, though, there’s evidently still a long road ahead for Fast X: Part 2.
- Director
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Louis Leterrier
- Writers
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Oren Uziel, Christina Hodson