It has been 2 years since Fast X concluded, and speaking about the final chapter in the series, Vin Diesel recently declared the movie will hit the screens in 2027. Addressing the 11th mainline entry in the franchise, Diesel shared that the movie will return to the franchise’s street-racing roots, while teasing a potential reunion between Dom and the late Paul Walker‘s Brian (via The Wall Street Journal).
However, contrary to his statements, it appears Universal, as of now, is sitting on the fence in regards to its direction, which wouldn’t be surprising given the shifting box-office climate and the bloated budget of the last entry.
Universal Reportedly Eyeing to Cut Back on Fast & Furious 11‘s Budget
Despite Diesel’s claims, the movie reportedly doesn’t have an approved script nor a release window, and most of the crew are apparently uncertain about their involvement. Moreover, the execs at Universal are said to be hesitant about greenlighting the instalment until they reach a sustainable budget to avoid another Fast X
It’s reported that the current draft for Fast X Part 2 would cost $250M to produce, excluding the marketing cost, and the creatives involved are eyeing to trim it down by $50M, potentially by walking back on overseas locations. Several actors might witness reduced screentime as a result, if they appear at all in the finale. Producer Neal Moritz said:
The only thing we’re focused on is making this a satisfying finale both creatively and financially.
Even though the reports contradict Diesel’s claims regarding the 11th movie’s state, a return to the franchise’s street-level roots could address Universal’s concerns regarding the franchise’s commercial viability.
Did Vin Diesel’s Fast X Break Even at the Box Office?
Pre-COVID, the discussion surrounding the Fast & Furious‘ rising budgets would’ve done little to hinder the production of the next entry. Having been Universal’s biggest cash cow for decades, with a total franchise gross of $7.3B from 11 movies, unfortunately, Fast X, despite its star power and a returning Dwayne Johnson, became the lowest-grossing FF entry in years.
Following its budget of $340M, a result of director Justin Lee’s departure mid-production, its $704M box-office run proved to be underwhelming. Although by Hollywood maths, a movie often requires 2.5X of its production budget to break even, according to Variety, Fast X did turn a profit.
But Universal’s more cautious approach to the next entry suggests that the supposed profit didn’t live up to their expectation. And with big-budget IP-driven releases no longer guaranteeing box-office success, as seen with recent Marvel releases, the decision to cap the budget seems reasonable on paper.
It’ll be interesting to see if the final entry can offer a satisfying conclusion amid budget concerns, and Universal might extend the IP through potential spin-offs and TV shows in the future.
Will it impact the movie’s quality? Comment your thoughts below!
Fast X is currently streaming on Peacock (USA).
