'Fast X' director Louis Letterier teases penultimate Fast Saga chapter: 'There's a war brewing'

With a little over three months to go until the wide theatrical release of Fast X, Empire has rolled out our first look at the penultimate chapter in the high-octane Fast Saga, which celebrates its 22nd anniversary this June. Director Louis Leterrier, who inherited the project from Justin Lin, sat down with the magazine for a little interview about what fans can expect from the pedal-to-the-metal blockbuster.

“There’s a war brewing,” said the filmmaker known for Transporter 2 and The Incredible Hulk. “It’s coming to an end, and it is a race to the finish. There will be some tremendous casualties. People are going to need to take sides. Alliances will need to be made. Good guys will become bad guys, bad guys will become good guys."

Tapping into his experience of directing Netflix's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Leterrier opted for a "practical" approach wherever possible. Of course, exploding vehicles and other death-defying set pieces are quite a step up from elaborate puppetry.

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"We went for real stunts, which we’re enhancing with visual effects," he explained. "We shot in LA, London, Rio, Portugal. We blew up Hummers flying around Rome. There’ll be some iconic imagery in this one. You will see: as long as Dom Toretto is behind the wheel of a car, there’s nothing he cannot do."

While plot details are still being kept tightly under the hood, it has been confirmed that Dom (Vin Diesel) and his extended family will face off against a new villain by the name of Dante, played by Aquaman veteran Jason Momoa. And if one baddie wasn't...well, bad enough, our team of heroes also has to worry about the return of Charlize Theron's master hacker, Cypher. "They are bad news, but one is more afraid than the other," Leterrier added. "One is worse news than the other."

Other newcomers to the fast-paced franchise include Rita Morena (Dom's mother), Leo Abelo Perry (Dom's son), Daniela Melchior (TBD), Alan Ritchson (TBD), and Brie Larson. According to Empire, the Captain Marvel star is stepping into the role of Tess, a character whose loyalties are unclear at the current time. Let's hope she's one of the good guys, because Mr. Toretto and his crew of seasoned drivers are going to need all the help they can get as the Fast & Furious series nears the end of the road.

“When you have fought so hard to keep your faith and protect your family, and literally change the world, which is the case of Dom Toretto, there is a price to pay,” Leterrier concluded. "His enemies are coming after him. There’s a total sum of enemies that are coming after him."

Fast X zooms onto the big screen Friday, May 19.

Relive a portion of the Fast Saga with Fast & Furious 6 and Furious 7 — both of which are streaming on Peacock. If you want even more Vin Diesel action, then be sure to check out xXx, Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick, and Riddick.