The Kidd here...
FAST & FURIOUS 6 will be Justin Lin's last ride with the series he's nurtured, re-invented and really made count following his takeover of the franchise with TOKYO DRIFT. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Lin won't be returning to direct #7, telling the studio that the aggressive time table to get a seventh movie into theatres (Universal is eyeing next summer) would result in less than his best work. There'd have been no break between this summer's FAST & FURIOUS 6 and the planned sequel, as post-production on 6 would have overlapped with pre-production on 7... and when you have that much time invested in something, sometimes you just need a breather.
Obviously Universal is looking to capitalize on the excitement the end of FAST & FURIOUS 6 is sure to create (Beware those spoilers!!), and who can blame them? That's why the idea of shooting the films back-to-back was tossed around for some time. But with that not coming to pass, sometimes you have to revise your plan if you want to get the most out of it. I'm curious to see who Lin's replacement will be, but there is no question to me that his loss will be felt moving forward. A lot of credit for these films is often placed elsewhere, but Lin is an overlooked part of the reason as to why this series has managed to last this long. We'll see if the next director in line has the ability to fill the shoes he's leaving behind.
-Billy Donnelly
"The Infamous Billy The Kidd"
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