• Warning: There are spoilers forward for “Quick X.”
• Louis Leterrier spoke to Insider about taking on directing and bringing a beloved character again.
• He is aware of precisely how the saga ends and defined how they refilmed “Quick 5” scenes.

Louis Leterrier is feeling the strain of the “Quick” franchise, however are you able to blame him?

The “Transporter” director joined Common’s $6 billion franchise mid-production after director Justin Lin shockingly exited the movie in April 2022. Lin was beforehand set to direct the principle saga’s ultimate trilogy.

For the primary time in franchise historical past, “Quick X” does not neatly wrap with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his discovered household gathered round a desk.

As a substitute, it ends on a dangerous cliffhanger, demanding audiences to return to theaters for the following sequel to see the way it all pans out. 

The tip additionally teases the return of two enormous actors to the “Quick” household. Gal Gadot’s Gisele makes a quick look regardless of being killed off in 2013’s “Quick 6.” Dwayne Johnson (who claimed he’d by no means return to the franchise) surprisingly seems in a mid-credits scene, which, on the time, was not screened by Insider prematurely of talking with Leterrier.

These aren’t the one transferring components he needed to juggle.

The tenth movie follows Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa) as he seeks vengeance on Dom’s crew for killing his father on the finish of “Quick 5.” Because of this, Leterrier was tasked with retconning the collection’ finest movie to seamlessly insert Dante into an enormous flashback, which performs on the sequel’s begin.

Leterrier additionally wanted to ship a extremely anticipated Han (Sung Kang) and Deckard (Jason Statham) confrontation (teased in “Quick 9”) that won’t reduce it for followers who’ve demanded “Justice for Han.”

There’s so much driving on the film’s success because it’s the primary of a two-part (or probably three-part) finale. 

However after spending 20 minutes with Leterrier over Zoom, it is apparent why Common tapped the French director to helm not solely “Quick X,” but in addition its sequel. He is a fan who understands and is energized by the saga’s constantly-evolving mythology.

Initially within the working to direct 2017’s “The Destiny of the Livid,” Leterrier’s eyes lit up as he recalled watching the earlier 9 installments in theaters earlier than receiving a name to step behind the digital camera. He is a child in a sweet store who’s allowed to crash automobiles and let an enormous flaming ball free by way of the streets of Rome.

After we spoke in early Might, Leterrier defined to Insider how Gisele’s return has been within the works for a while, the thought course of behind the cliffhanger, how they revisited and reshot scenes from “Quick 5,” and teased that the saga’s finish “will really shock you within the best approach.”

‘Quick X’ had ‘zero’ reshoots. They filmed the sequel’s shock cameos later.

You have been type of thrown into this movie the second you took over as director, rewriting many of the script on a airplane. How simple or troublesome was it to return onto this mission in the midst of it? How amenable have been you to ideas and enter from the forged, a few of whom have been doing this for 20 years? Vin Diesel could be very hands-on and near the mythology. These guys — Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez — know their characters inside and outside. Was it intimidating in any respect?

It is utterly intimidating. To right one little factor you stated. I did not rewrite the script. I used to be simply making it my very own. I used to be attempting to grasp the scope.

Additionally, one factor that occurred is we misplaced the placement for the third act. That is one factor that I needed to reconceive. I might’ve by no means gotten on this airplane had the script not been nice. What Justin and Dan Mazeau had created was actually nice and it is mainly the form that it is in now.

The enter from the actors is so necessary. Frankly, I used to be wanting ahead to the enter from the actors as a result of it is: The place are they now? What do they need? I am two years behind them, a minimum of, not realizing all of the tales and the concepts that that they had earlier than. So I used to be like, “OK, The place’s Dom Toretto now? Inform me, Vin. The place is Letty? Inform me, Michelle.”

Frankly, as a director, I am not a painter. I am not a sculptor. I want a crew and a forged to make my motion pictures. And though I am very proud and I will proudly say that that is my film and each film I’ve made could be very consultant of my imaginative and prescient, it is a collective imaginative and prescient.

There must be one director that folks observe, nevertheless it all stems from belief and belief comes from dialogue. Communication is vital in life and on set. So that is what we did. That was my very first thing of going to them and sitting down and simply having lengthy conversations. I used to be actually listening to them… I believe it is necessary to try this.

As you stated, it is a lifetime for them. It is a lifetime of going deep, deep, deep, deep into the character. 

So this third act that you just reworked, is that the ending that we see now within the film? Or did that wind up altering once more? 

No. It is the ending. The film is my imaginative and prescient.

Clearly, you write the third act after which it’s important to tweak the primary act and the second act and every little thing. After which, having had no prep in any respect, I could not expose my imaginative and prescient to the studio. There was no time.

So, what you see within the film could be very a lot my instinctive imaginative and prescient for what I needed. There’s been no compromise and to show to you that that is the case, there’s like half a scene on the slicing room flooring of individuals coming onto a airplane.

We did zero pickups. Zero re-shoots. We did some extra stuff, the extra stuff that you just noticed on the finish of the film. However we by no means reshot a scene. So the stuff we have been capturing on set was working. 

‘Quick 5’ footage with Paul Walker was reviewed to create the opening flashback

We revisit the epic heist from the tip of “Quick 5” with Diesel and Walker at first of this movie. A few of these scenes are clearly new with Momoa. Are you aware if any of the “Quick 5” pictures are from unused footage?

Sure. So we reshot some stuff on 35-millimeter with the identical cameras. We additionally went into the archives and checked out all of the dailies. So there was lots of stuff that you have not seen earlier than.

We reinterpreted the chase by way of a unique standpoint, by way of the Reyes’ standpoint, so Dom and Brian are the unhealthy guys in our story initially of the film.

That was thrilling. That was additionally very emotional as a result of I used to be watching dailies with, younger Vin and younger Paul after which clearly they have been Brian and Dom between “motion and reduce,” however I may see their interplay as pals earlier than and after. That was actually wonderful to see. Actually, actually emotional.

The Han and Deckard confrontation was initially ‘shorter and completely different’ 

Followers have waited for that Han and Deckard Shaw scene for years, ready to see “Justice for Han” after it was teased on the finish of “Quick 9.” The scene we obtain is a bit bit shorter than, a minimum of, what I anticipated. Was that second between the 2 ever longer or a bit completely different?

I do not know if it was longer or completely different, however, yeah, it is advanced. It was really shorter and completely different. Clearly, Jason Statham and I’ve a protracted historical past collectively as a result of we did “Transporters,” so I’ve identified him for a protracted, very long time. Then I fell in love with Sung Kang.

So, I used to be simply wanting to place this scene on a pedestal. However, “Justice for Han,” I do not assume it is one scene. It is a full story arc. So it is just the start.

Gisele’s return was thought of ‘for years’

I requested Sung Kang years in the past what he views as “Justice for Han.” He stated that will embrace Gisele returning. Is there something you may say about what went into bringing her again? 

I do know every little thing that went into it and clearly, it is not only a cellphone name of like, “Would you want to return in?” It is correct storytelling planning, one thing that has been considered for years and admittedly, yeah, that may be a part of that “Justice for Han” story. 

There’s going to be so many surprises on this one and the following one. In the end, we love our viewers. We love our franchise. To have a fan directing these motion pictures, it is wonderful as a result of I get to deliver on-screen every little thing that I’ve needed to see for years.

I heard you as a result of I used to be within the viewers with you, and now I am along with the crew and everybody within the forged and making these selections. Hopefully, we’re making the best selections.

The ending will really shock you within the best approach. You will be glad, however be like, I might’ve by no means anticipated this franchise to finish right here.

They actually coated a steel ball in flaming gasoline and set it free in Rome

There are such a lot of large motion sequences on this movie. Is there one motion sequence you are particularly happy with that followers could also be shocked to study is virtually shot and never simply visible results?

We actually rolled a one-ton steel ball coated in simply gasoline, flaming gasoline down the streets of Rome. And we had Dom’s automotive attempting to cease it. That was carried out for actual. The automobiles exploding have been carried out for actual. A number of the pictures that you just’re like, “Oh wow. This seems like a CG shot — as a result of it was 10 years in the past after we could not, when the cameras have been a unique dimension after which the gear was a unique dimension.

Pulling the cameras out and in of the automobiles whereas they’re transferring, chasing them, seeing the actors behind the wheel after which connecting them — having Vin do a 180 in entrance of an exploding bomb after which ending on a closeup with him, that is all carried out for actual. It is a bunch of actual parts put collectively.

However yeah, there is not any CG there. I imply, clearly, we did not blow up a large bomb in Rome. That is CG. However simply the automobiles flipping and Dom, all of that was carried out for actual and it exhibits. For those who can maintain 75% of your picture actual, the viewers is aware of it. We do it for actual. Much more practicality within the subsequent one.

The cliffhanger was written into the film when Leterrier joined ‘Quick X.’ He is aware of the place the ‘Quick Saga’ ends.

I wasn’t anticipating this film to finish with lives hanging within the stability. What are you able to say about what went into the choice to interrupt at this level and place nearly all the “Quick” fam in hurt’s approach?

Story. It is the story of the 9 earlier episodes plus “Los Bandoleros,” and every little thing that this franchise means.

Once I got here on board, the cliffhanger was there and I knew it, however I used to be like, it is onerous for us to do only a cliffhanger if we do not know the place the film ends. Let’s actually go to the tip of the franchise after which make our approach backward. So that is what we did.

If and while you see it once more, there are numerous, many, many cases which can be prepping you for this very finish, or a minimum of what is going on to evolve. Hearken to every little thing that is being stated. Each line. Each prop. Stuff I reduce away to. You will perceive. 

Once I spoke with Justin Lin for “Quick 9,” he instructed me he and Diesel had an endpoint in thoughts for the “Quick and Livid” franchise for the previous decade. Had been you clued in on this? Did you communicate with Lin and Diesel concerning the path of the tip of the saga?

Fully. Completely. And we construct upon this. They’ve identified the place that is ending for a very long time. That is why these motion pictures are working nicely. They do not really feel like they’re one chapter at a time.

It is actually thought out now to the purpose they’re assured sufficient, writing-wise, that they’ll finish on the cliffhanger. We all know the place we’re going subsequent time and we consider that the followers will observe.

You possibly can’t watch the tip of this film and simply cease.

You could possibly. [Laughs.] You could possibly, nevertheless it’d be very unhappy.

You are returning to direct “Quick X: Half 2.” How a lot work is already carried out on that movie? Is the script written?

We have now scripts and we’re going and we’re prepping and I will see you in 2025. [Laughs.]

It is thrilling as a result of we’re approaching the tip. There isn’t any extra runway. We have to land it and land it completely. So, we’re taking actually nice care and analyzing every little thing. We’re not taking something without any consideration.

This interview has been condensed and edited for readability. You possibly can learn our “Quick X” evaluate right here.