Fast & Furious’ Future Uncertain as Universal Balks at Fast 11 Budget

The future of the Fast & Furious franchise — and, specifically, Fast 11 — is looking uncertain, largely due to budget concerns.

Fast X was released in United States theaters in 2023. The tenth film in the main The Fast and the Furious franchise, Fast X was originally supposed to kickstart a new trilogy. That changed when the movie didn’t make as much as Universal Pictures expected it to, as it was then announced that Fast 11 would instead be the final installment in the franchise.

Having said that, there hasn’t been much news about Fast 11, also sometimes referred to as Fast X: Part 2 or Fast and Furious 11, advancing. Vin Diesel, who plays Dominic Toretto in the Fast and Furious movies, has publicly asked Universal to give the film a release date, but there haven’t been many substantial updates on the project in some time.

What is the latest Fast & Furious 11 update?

According to a recent article shared by the Wall Street Journal, Fast 11 doesn’t have an approved script as of yet, while “most” of the cast don’t have deals to star in the film.

“Executives at Universal aren’t even certain they’ll make the movie unless they and the filmmakers can find a way to produce it far more economically than the last installment, which barely earned a profit,” the article reads. “Universal executives have told filmmakers they won’t make another sequel unless it costs around $200 million. That way, it would earn a healthy profit even if it grosses less than Fast X. Studios typically look for a film to gross three times its budget to earn a targeted return on investment.”

Fast X made approximately $714.4 million at the global box office off an estimated $378 million budget.

There is still a chance that Fast & Furious 11 could start filming next spring, most likely in Los Angeles, and then be released in 2027. The most recent Fast 11 script draft would cost approximately $250 million to make, meaning the Fast and Furious filmmakers need to shave off around $50 million or further negotiate with Universal.

“They’re considering shooting in fewer global locations and giving some cast members smaller roles, if they appear at all,” the article states. “Though Universal hasn’t made deals with many of the movie’s actors, their agents aren’t expecting raises. The studio is also considering less expensive ways to continue Fast & Furious in the future, people familiar with the matter said. Writers are working on scripts for a live-action television series, and executives have discussed spinoff films for certain characters or a stripped-down, lower-budget movie.”

Source: Comingsoon.net