New reports suggest that Universal is courting Justin Lin to helm a two-part "finale" double feature for the Fast and Furious franchise.
Universal Pictures is doing quite a bit of shuffling with its many franchises at the moment. We previously reported how The Wolfman reboot has a writer now onboard, however, it appears the studio is also shaking things up again with its current flagship franchise: Fast and Furious. While the entry due in theaters next March, Furious 7, is directed by James Wan, who signed a three-picture deal with Universal for the franchise, there is no denying that it will be a while before Wan will be available again since he has signed on to direct The Conjuring 2 for Warner Bros. And considering all the tragic turmoil surrounding Furious 7 and Paul Walker, it probably makes sense to take a break.
But according to Deadline, the studio isn’t about to put any pressure on its franchise production brake. Instead, they appear ready to lure Justin Lin back to the franchise. Lin previously directed the last four theatrically released Fast and Furious movies, all of which are credited with turning the brand into an international blockbuster franchise. However, after concluding work on Fast and Furious 6, Lin departed the series to try his hand at another Universal franchise, Bourne. As set to direct a sequel to The Bourne Legacy, which starred Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross, Lin appeared to move on until Matt Damon expressed interest in returning to the series, along with Paul Greengrass as director. For obvious reasons, the studio has fast-tracked Damon’s reprisal of the role Jason Bourne, postponing the Lin/Renner production for the time being.
However, that does not mean Universal wants Lin to move elsewhere. As reported by Deadline’s anonymous sources, the studio is seeking to make a deal with Lin to direct a two-part “finale” to the Fast and Furious franchise. Somehow though, we doubt there will be anything final about them with the kind of money they’ve been making at the box office. Still, it could be a nice cinematic event for Dom and “the family.”
Justin Lin is currently gearing up to direct the first two episodes of next season's True Detective for HBO.
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