Fast X Director Louis Leterrier Promises a 'Truly Surprising' End to The Fast Saga

It doesn't really matter whether the Fast & Furious saga concludes after 12 chapters instead of 11 — the narrative ending is already in place and known to the core team of creatives. Speaking with Collider ahead of Fast X's wide theatrical rollout this Friday, director Louis Leterrier (also locked in to helm Fast 11) teased what fans can expect once the 22-year-old odyssey crosses the finish line.

"The roads we're going to take are going to be different, but we know where it all ends, and I know as a fan it's both sort of satisfying and truly surprising," he said. "As you know, fan service is tricky because you want to deliver the right thing, but you wanna surprise the people, you don't want to give them exactly what you know everybody's expecting from the Fast & Furious franchise, where it's going to end up."

RELATED: Fast X Zooms Down Memory Lane with Alan Ritchson & Brie Larson in Massive Final Trailer

While we don't know anything about the story conceived by Fast 11 co-writers Christina Hodson (The Flash) and Oren Uziel (The Cloverfield Paradox), Leterrier promised that there will be plenty of groundwork laid down by Fast X, which boasts the second-longest runtime of the entire franchise at 2 hours and 21 minutes (a mere two minutes shy of F9).

"We were able to go back and then plant the seeds," he continued. "And if you look at Fast X, so many things that are being said, so many moments that are being shown, are prepping you for that, for the very end."

The filmmaker's enthusiasm for getting to close out one of the biggest film series of all time is a far cry from the initial hesitation he felt last year when Universal Pictures asked him to replace writer/producer Justin Lin several weeks into principal photography.

"People are like, ‘But it's fine because, at the end of the day, you tried your best.’ I was like, ‘No.’ Because if you fail, your name is attached, you're the guy who killed the Fast & Furious franchise, you know?" he also told Collider. "There's no poster that says, ‘Well, we didn't have the budget so the movie is not as good. The schedule was bad, the weather was horrible.’ No one cares. They judge you."

Fast X zooms onto the big screen this Friday, May 19. Tickets are on sale now! Fast 11 is slated to open sometime in 2025.

Relive a small portion of the Fast Saga with Furious 7 and F9 — now streaming now on Peacock. If you want to catch up on the full story, however, click right here for our nifty guide on where to stream the first nine installments (plus Hobbs & Shaw).