Fast-and-Furious-6-PosterHaving helmed four instalments in the franchise, we heard last week that Justin Lin won’t be returning to direct Fast and Furious 7, believing that the proposed schedule for Universal to put the sequel into theatres next summer wouldn’t result in his best work, with Fast and Furious 6 still being completed.

With the studio aiming for a Summer 2014 release, and with Vin Diesel revealing that the sequel was aiming to shoot in Los Angeles this summer, the search is on to find the director to fill the big boots left by Lin.

Latino Review are reporting that the studio have three directors currently on their list: Jeff Wadlow, Brad Furman, and Harald Zwart.

Wadlow has been working with the studio recently, having helmed their anticipated summer blockbuster, Kick-Ass 2. His experience directing Never Back Down, I’d argue, would put him in a good position for Fast and Furious 7. The mixed-martial arts movie featured plenty of close combat action sequences, and one of the endless things I loved about Fast Five was its close quarters fight scenes. And the chances are, the studio would be looking for more in Fast and Furious 6 and Fast and Furious 7.

Zwart is best known for helming the 2010 remake/reboot of The Karate Kid, led by the young Jaden Smith and the great Jackie Chan. His next feature, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, is due out this summer, and is set to kick-start a new franchise in the young adult novel adaptation genre.

Furman has most recently made a name for himself at the helm of The Lincoln Lawyer, the acclaimed crime-drama that marks one of Matthew McConaughey’s recent career-changing performances. Furman next feature – Runner, Runner – stars the likes of Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton, and Anthony Mackie, and we can’t wait for that one to land this autumn/fall, either.

With three very much prominent directors thought to be on their list, we’re eager to find out who ultimately gets the job from Universal to direct the next instalment. The studio are expected to make an announcement early this week, and we’ll have it for you when it lands.

There’s no word yet on who the studio have, or are seeking, to pen the script. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Chris Morgan will be the man who gets the job – if, in fact, he hasn’t already written it – given the success the studio have had with him writing the franchise’s third, fourth, fifth, and now sixth instalments.

In the meantime, Fast and Furious 6 will be hitting theatres at the end of next month, with the Lin-directed blockbuster arriving in UK theatres on 23rd May, ahead of its US release date on May 24th.