Fast & Furious Finale Stalls Out: $50 Million Cut Or No Go, Despite Fast X’s Cliffhanger

Two years after Fast X, the supposed finale of Fast & Furious is still stuck in neutral. Universal hasn’t officially announced it, and behind the scenes the money talk is getting very real. If you like inside baseball, this one is basically a budget meeting with muscle cars.

What’s jamming the brakes

The Wall Street Journal says the next Fast sequel doesn’t have an approved script or a release date, and most of the main cast haven’t signed on. Studio execs have reportedly told the filmmakers they won’t pull the trigger on another movie unless the budget comes down by 20%. The version on the table right now would cost around $250 million, which means Universal wants roughly $50 million shaved off before anybody rolls cameras.

Why the sudden financial discipline? Fast X, released in 2023, was the franchise’s lowest-grosser in more than a decade. It made $705 million worldwide on a reported $340 million budget. In today’s Hollywood accounting, studios often need something like triple a film’s production cost to feel good about the bottom line once marketing and exhibitor cuts are baked in. And with even reliable brands like the MCU not bouncing back to pre-pandemic highs, nobody’s eager to sign off on a quarter-billion-dollar joyride without a plan.

Quick status check

• Title: The follow-up has been referred to as Fast X: Part 2.
• Timing: It was once expected to land this year, but there’s no official date now.
• Script and cast: No approved script yet; most of the core cast aren’t under deals.
• Budget: Current draft points to about $250 million; Universal wants costs cut by 20% before moving forward.
• Optimistic whisper: People close to the project still hope filming can start next spring.

Diesel is still calling his shot

Vin Diesel is, unsurprisingly, the most confident voice in the room. Last June, he said the team had circled April 2027 for release, and he laid out his personal terms for climbing back in the driver’s seat.

'First, is to bring the franchise back to L.A.! The second thing was to return to the car culture, to the street racing! The third thing was reuniting Dom and Brian O'Conner.'

That third bit is the tricky one. Brian is the late Paul Walker’s character, so a reunion would mean some combination of digital work, archival material, or a creative end run the studio hasn’t spelled out. It’s emotionally potent, but also technically and financially complicated.

Plan B: smaller, faster, cheaper

While the big finale wobbles, Universal is reportedly kicking the tires on less expensive ways to keep the IP running: a live-action TV series and potential character-focused spinoff films. Translation: keep the brand alive, keep costs down, and buy time to figure out the main event.

Bottom line: Fast isn’t dead, but it’s definitely downshifting. If the filmmakers can trim the budget, lock a script, and wrangle the cast, the finish line is still out there. Until then, expect more caution lights than green ones.