Justin Lin Will Not Direct 'Fast & Furious 7'

Rob Cohen's eyes just became as big as flying saucers.

In what is rather surprising news, word came out yesterday that director Justin Lin - whose helmed the past four Fast & Furious movies including this summer's upcoming Fast & Furious 6 - won't be returning for the inevitable Fast & Furious 7.

No, it's not because he clashed heads with the studio, Universal, or the film's cast (if anything, the relationship is probably anything but).  It's because the studio wants the next film in theaters by next summer and Lin doesn't feel he can make that release date.

I for one find this to be the absolute dumbest move a studio - not the director of course - can make.

Why would you rush out the next film in less than a year's time?  Your Fast & Furious film every two years seems to be working great with each subsequent film surmounting the previous one, so why would you screw with that formula?  I mean if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I'm sure the cast and crew aren't too happy about this as they realize films that are rushed out never work.  The best example I can think of is the Twilight films, believe it or not.

Yeah, I'm not a fan, but it's pretty obvious the studio rushed those sequels out after the original was such a hit.  Their mindset was as long as we can put moving pictures up on screen with people talking, the movie will sell.  Hell, even the original director (Catherine Hardwicke) didn't return because of that crap.

Did Chris Nolan rush out his Batman trilogy?  Hell no.  That dude took his time developing those films and look how they turned out.

It's pretty obvious Universal wants the next film out quickly because of the big ending that leaked a few months back, which sets up the next film.  Yeah, it's an exciting twist, but just as many people will go see the film in two years as they will next year (and I bet you it would be an overall better film too).

No word on what Lin is now going to do with all his free time but I can only hope he re-attaches himself to Terminator 5 that he was so interested in doing a couple years back.

Universal plans to announce the new director for F&F 7 by next week (my money's on the original film's director, Rob Cohen, as happy as he'll probably be).

Source: The Hollywood Reporter