Series regular Tyrese Gibson says Fast & Furious 11 won’t start filming until early next year, calling its original April 2025 release date into question.
Following the shuddering, $340m ball of fire that was Fast X, it’s been said that the currently untitled sequel we’re calling Fast & Furious 11 will be the last in the franchise. Universal Pictures has previously had that sequel scheduled for release on the 4th April 2025 – a date that now has a huge question mark over it following comments by series regular Tyrese Gibson.
Talking to CBR, Gibson indicated that Fast & Furious 11, listed on IMDb as Fast X: Part 2, won’t begin filming until January 2025 at the earliest – a knock-on effect, he said, of 2022’s strikes.
“Because of the strike, both strikes, there were some real delays in writing and kind of getting the film up on its feet,” Gibson said. “I’m hearing that we’re going to get it going right in 2025, right at the top of the year.”
Fast X was beset by production difficulties, not least due to the abrupt departure of director Justin Lin a couple of weeks into filming. Action stalwart Louis Leterrier was brought in to replace him, and it’s Leterrier who’ll direct Fast & Furious 11 – a movie that will theoretically tie up all the loose ends left over from Fast X's cliffhanger ending.
The potential spanner in the works is an earlier report that Jason Momoa, Fast X’s exceedingly camp antagonist, Dante, isn’t coming back for the sequel – a situation which could provide a few writing challenges by itself. (Instead, Momoa will reportedly team up with Dwayne Johnson for a spin-off, much like 2019’s Hobbs & Shaw.)
Read more: Fast X review | A bludgeoning high-octane pantomime
It’s been said that Fast & Furious 11 will be a scaled-back affair compared to Fast X, with a budget of ‘just’ $200m and the focus more firmly on car chases – something Gibson appears to vaguely allude to in his CBR interview.
“I think right now the pressure is to elevate the movie and take the film to some other levels,” Gibson said. “As you’ve seen, Gal Gadot and The Rock are back, which is exciting.”
Indeed it is. Gadot and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson will also be joined by Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and too many other actors to list here.
If Gibson’s estimate’s correct, then the chances of Fast & Furious 11 meeting its 4th April release date are about as high as Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson exchanging Christmas cards.
We’ll keep you posted as we hear more on the whole situation.
Read more: Louis Leterrier interview | Fast X, Jason Momoa, and Alien: Resurrection
