FAST X Director Louis Leterrier Wanted to Ground the Film "More in Reality"

The Fast and Furious franchise has evolved into a completely different beast than it was when it started. The films went from racing souped-up cars to featuring ridiculous over-the-top action scenes, many of which defy the laws of physics. Well, it sounds like Fast X is going to take a step back as director Louis Leterrier says that he’s looking to ground the movie more in reality.

. While talking about the movie in an interview with Esquire, the filmmaker talked about taking the franchise back to its roots, saying:

"What I wanted to do on this one, because it's very much my style, was to ground it more in reality. I wanted to — no pun intended — land it back on Earth. They went into space in number nine, and I was like, 'okay, they went to space, there's no way I can top that.' But what I can do is do stuff that we've never done before practically, such as rolling a one-ton bomb — an actual one ton metal ball in the streets of Rome, and hope not to destroy the Colosseum."

In the ninth installment of the franchise, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and Tyrese Gibson rocketed up into space in a rocket car decked out in deep-sea diving suits. It was bound to happen, but I’m sure glad that we aren’t going to see the next film go to Mars. I’m sure Fast X will be a better movie having it more grounded in reality. The filmmaker went on to talk about the practical effects and physical stunts being utilized in the movie saying:

"Obviously we had visual effects help, but we just needed to keep everything grounded in the practical. The visual effects were mainly for safety and scope, but we needed the basis to stay in our reality. Without that, it would become too much. I wanted it to feel like Fast 1, Fast 3, and Fast 5 — movies that feel grounded. That is my style, and everyone accepted that, so everyone was really on board. Everyone was excited to re-explore physical stunts."

The movie will still deliver the insane spectacle that we’ve come to expect from the franchise, but it won’t be as absurd as some of the things we’ve seen in the past. Reading this actually makes me a little more excited about Fast X! Here’s the synopsis:

Fast X, the tenth film in the Fast & Furious Saga, launches the final chapters of one of cinema’s most storied and popular global franchises, now in its third decade and still going strong with the same core cast and characters as when it began.

Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced: A terrifying threat emerging from the shadows of the past who’s fueled by blood revenge, and who is determined to shatter this family and destroy everything—and everyone—that Dom loves, forever.

In 2011’s Fast Five, Dom and his crew took out nefarious Brazilian drug kingpin Hernan Reyes and decapitated his empire on a bridge in Rio De Janeiro. What they didn’t know was that Reyes’ son, Dante (Aquaman’s Jason Momoa), witnessed it all and has spent the last 12 years masterminding a plan to make Dom pay the ultimate price.

Dante’s plot will scatter Dom’s family from Los Angeles to the catacombs of Rome, from Brazil to London and from Portugal to Antarctica. New allies will be forged and old enemies will resurface. But everything changes when Dom discovers that his own 8-year-old son (Leo Abelo Perry, Black-ish) is the ultimate target of Dante’s vengeance.

Returning cast members also Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Charlize Theron, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Sung Kang, Nathalie Emmanuel, Michael Rooker, Jordana Brewster, Jason Statham, John Cena, and Scott Eastwood.

The new cast includes Jason Momoa as the main villain Dante, Brie Larson as Tess, a rogue representative from the Agency; Alan Ritchson (Reacher) as Aimes, the new head of the Agency who doesn’t hold the same fondness for Dom’s crew as his predecessor, Mr. Nobody; Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad) as a Brazilian street racer with a powerful tie to Dom’s past; and Rita Moreno as Dom and Mia’s Abuelita Toretto.

The movie hits theaters on May 19th!

Fast X races into earthbound theaters on May 19, 2023.