Fast X Director Louis Leterrier Did An Almost Total Rewrite Of The Script
We might not know a ton about the "Fast X" director switcheroo, but we do know that it was a pretty fast-paced one, for lack of a better term. After Justin Lin announced he would leave the film, "Transporter" helmer Louis Leterrier was swiftly announced to take his place. Having done several action films in the past, this didn't come as a surprise, especially since he had circled previous franchise installments in the past.
However, what might be surprising is just how quickly Leterrier had to transition into being a part of the Fast Family. He recently spoke to Esquire Middle East about this daunting new ride, and he revealed that in the span of just four days, he went from getting called by Universal Studios to flying to the film's set. While traveling, he said that he had read the original "Fast X" script four times, and when he arrived, he suggested that some edits be made. That suggestion apparently came at the right time.
"I said I had some ideas, and they said, 'Great, because the whole third act is changing,'" Leterrier recalled a producer saying. "'Can you rewrite it tonight?'"
Rewriting a third act in one night sounds daunting enough, but what about rewriting almost the entire movie while it's still in production? While the timeline isn't exactly clear, Leterrier did end up doing just that. Thankfully, he didn't have to do it alone.
Unraveling the story
When he was reworking the third act to "Fast X," Leterrier realized something important. In order for his third act rewrites to work, they had to connect to the first two acts in an effective way. That prompted him to go back to the other acts and figure out ways to make everything more cohesive.
"Obviously, since the third act was changing, I needed to change the first act," he recalled. "And when you rewrite the third act, and the first act, the second act has to go. So basically I had to on the fly rebuild the airplane."
As previously mentioned, it's not clear how long this actually took Leterrier to accomplish. At first glance, it could appear as if he made these rewrites during the four days between his hiring and his first day on set, but that wouldn't make much sense. Regardless of how long this process actually took, he wasn't doing it alone. He recalled the rewriting process as a collaborative one that took everyone's opinions and suggestions into consideration.
"I was embracing everyone, meeting with every actor, getting their notes, putting their notes into the script," said Leterrier. "It was a lot of work, but it was possibly the most exciting and collaborative experience of my professional life."
We'll get to see this process come to life on the big screen sooner than you may think. "Fast X" drives into theaters on May 19.