At the end of June, Vin Diesel revealed Fast & Furious 11 would be arriving April 2027. Turns out, he may have spoken too soon. Way too soon, in fact.
A recent report from the Wall Street Journal reveals Fast 11 lacks not only a hard date or approved script, it may leave some characters’ fates up in the air. Executives at Universal aren’t willing to make the movie unless there’s a way to produce it “far more economically” than its predecessor, which apparently “barely” turned a profit. Budget-wise, the studio is aiming for $200 million, which is typical for tentpole blockbusters, but Fast X cost about $340 million to make. As such, everyone involved with the movie is “scrambling” to fit within that constraint, with longtime producer Neal Mortiz affirming they’re striving to “make this a satisfying finale both creatively and financially.”
The team’s budget-related ideas apparently range from less globetrotting to giving “some” cast members smaller roles or not having them show up at all. Fast & Furious movies have become more expensive thanks to its stunts, stars, and locations; while returning stars have earned between $2-10 million depending on their importance to the franchise, leading man and producer Diesel makes over $25 million for each. (He’s had a producer credit since 2009’s Fast Four.) Meanwhile, Diesel’s other big declaration of bringing back the late Paul Walker as Brian O’Connor is still up in the air as far as how they’ll do it. Depending on the route taken, that may add onto the film’s limited budget.
WSJ’s reporting puts Diesel’s statements from this past summer, and his previous assurances of a less bombastic eleventh entry focused on cars and LA again, in a new light. The current draft of Fast 11’s script would cost around $250 million to make, and the team’s working out how to cut that remaining $50 million. Both this film’s budget and how much it makes will affect the franchise’s larger future, as Universal wants to revive interest via “less expensive” continuations like a TV show or movie spinoff for specific characters. We’ll find out how the future fares for Fast in the weeks to come.
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