Fast & Furious 10 Production Is Sparking Outrage In Los Angeles
The filming of "Fast X," aka "Fast & Furious 10," is reportedly in full swing, and it appears that not everyone is feeling like family around the franchise's most infamous shooting location — Dom Toretto's family home in Los Angeles' historic Angelino Heights neighborhood.
The hilltop residential area is situated 2 miles northwest of downtown LA, near the communities of Echo Park and Silver Lake, and is lined with Victorian houses and landmarks (via Echo Park Historical Society). This has made it a perfect filming location for Hollywood, with countless TV shows and movies shooting things there. According to reports, there have been numerous complaints lately about the ongoing production of "Fast X," which is set to feature familiar faces like Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, along with several new ones, including Brie Larson and Jason Momoa. There have been several times in the past where the franchise has returned to Dom's house for barbecues and whatnot, stretching all the way back to its first appearance in 2001's "The Fast and the Furious." But in the last few installments, there hasn't been much action or street racing going on — that is, until now.
LA residents plan to protest over 'dangerous' car stunts
According to Variety, residents in Angelino Heights and the surrounding areas of LA are planning to conduct "a huge protest" — with local media reportedly on board — in response to some car stunts that are going to be filmed around the Toretto house. The outlet says FilmLA is planning a shoot for August 26 that will include "simulated emergency services activity, aerial photography, wetting down of street and atmospheric smoke." No shooting permit has been finalized yet as of this publication, per Variety. An email to the Los Angeles City Council, which was obtained by the entertainment outlet, outlines the residents' demands and why they ultimately feel the way they do about the "Fast X" production.
"If this film shoot is allowed to go forward in Angelino Heights, or any part of it from F10 Productions (Universal) ... we will stage a huge protest and will invite many reporters and news cameras to film us protesting this film shoot all day and night," the email says, according to Variety. "We will hold this protest to honor the 178 people who have been killed by street racers in Los Angeles, and to shame Universal for their callous disregard for this deadly epidemic of street racing their films started and continue to promote."
While it's obvious that residents are upset over the constant "Fast & Furious" film shoots, they don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, with Vin Diesel stressing their importance — and the legacy of the Toretto house — in a 2015 featurette for "Furious 7" about returning there. "This is a special location both for the saga and for us," Diesel said. "So much of our careers started in this house."