Earlier this week we reported to you that Vin Diesel has started shooting for the much-awaited and last edition of the Fast and Furious franchise. But in a sudden turn of events director Justin Lin who directed Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift before taking the franchise through Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast and the Furious 6, and F9 has stepped down from directing this film.

In a statement, Lin said, "With the support of Universal, I have made the difficult decision to step back as director of FAST X, while remaining with the project as a producer." While Lin didn't elaborate on his decision to step down, he thanked the actors and stunt team, and added "On a personal note, as the child of Asian immigrants, I am proud of helping to build the most diverse franchise in movie history."

While promoting 'F9', Lin opened up to Variety about the direction of the planned tenth and eleventh instalments of the franchise, saying he and Diesel began charting the road map nearly a decade ago. Sources say that production on the main unit has briefly paused while Universal locks in a replacement director, while the second unit continues filming.

Led by Vin Diesel, the 10th instalment will also feature Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, and Sung Kang. 'Captain Marvel' star Brie Larson and Jason Momoa of 'Aquaman' fame are the new entrants in the franchise. 'Fast X' has a release date of May 19, 2023.