Fast X 2 Turmoil: Vin Diesel’s Claims Questioned as Universal Seeks a $50 Million Budget Cut
Two years after Fast X, Vin Diesel says the saga’s final lap hits theaters in 2027, revving back to its street-racing roots and teasing a fan-pleasing reunion.
Vin Diesel says the Fast saga is crossing the finish line in 2027. Universal, meanwhile, is looking at the brakes and the gas at the same time. Here is where the final ride actually stands.
What Vin is promising
Diesel recently told The Wall Street Journal the last mainline chapter - the 11th Fast & Furious movie - is coming in 2027, with a shift back to the series street-racing roots. He even teased a possible on-screen reunion between Dom and Paul Walker's Brian. How they would pull that off is not clear, but you can read between the lines: archival footage, digital trickery, or both.
What Universal is actually doing
Behind the scenes, it sounds a lot messier. Despite Diesel's confidence, the movie reportedly does not have an approved script or a locked release window. A lot of crew members are unsure if they are even on this one yet. Universal execs are said to be hesitant to officially greenlight anything until the budget comes down to something they can live with.
Right now, the working draft for what has been called Fast X Part 2 would cost around $250 million to produce before marketing. The creative team is trying to shave roughly $50 million off that, likely by dialing back the international location hopscotch. Translation: fewer far-flung shoots, fewer giant set pieces, and possibly less screen time for several returning players - if they appear at all.
"The only thing we're focused on is making this a satisfying finale both creatively and financially."
- Producer Neal Moritz
In a weird way, Diesel's pitch about getting back to street level actually lines up with the studio's wallet. Smaller scale could solve two problems at once: cost and audience fatigue.
Why the belt-tightening now
Pre-2020, rising Fast budgets barely raised an eyebrow. The franchise has pulled in about $7.3 billion across 11 films. But Fast X hit turbulence. After director Justin Lin exited mid-production, that movie ballooned to a reported $340 million budget and finished with $704 million worldwide. It brought Dwayne Johnson back for a buzzy cameo, but still landed as the lowest-grossing Fast in years.
By traditional Hollywood math, a movie often needs around 2.5 times its production budget to break even. Variety reported Fast X did tip into profit, but clearly not the kind that makes a studio throw blank checks around. Given how big IP has wobbled lately - yes, even Marvel - Universal being budget-cautious here tracks.
Fast X by the numbers
- IMDb score: 5.7
- Rotten Tomatoes: 56% critics / 84% audience
- Production budget: $340 million
- Worldwide box office: $704 million
So, where does that leave the finale?
On paper, a leaner, more grounded sendoff sounds like the right move - and a cleaner creative target than another globe-trotting, physics-optional caper. The tension is all timing: Diesel says 2027, but without an approved script or a final budget, that feels optimistic. If Universal gets the numbers where they want them, expect some cast trimming and fewer passport stamps.
For now, if you want a refresher, Fast X is streaming on Peacock in the US. And if the last ride really does go back to quarter-mile roots, that might be the smartest twist the series has pulled in years.