'Fast and Furious 8' found a director in F. Gary Grey of 'The Italian Job' fame. Vin Diesel, actor and producer in the eighth installment in the popular action franchise, revealed that their next project will be set in New York City instead of Los Angeles.
According to Variety, music video and film director F. Gary Grey has jumped aboard to helm the newest installment in the Fast and Furious franchise. The director sent out a tweet confirming his involvement which read, "Cant ask for better partners than Vin, Neal & Universal. Excited to bring u the next chapter of the #FastFamily saga".
He is best known for his work on the American biographical drama 'Straight Outta Compton' about the rise and fall of California hip hop group N.W.A as well as 2009's 'Law Abiding Citizen', 2005's 'Be Cool', and 2003's 'The Italian Job'.
James Wan of 'Furious 7' was initially approached to helm the sequel, however, the breakout filmmaker announced that he opted to do a follow-up for his popular horror film, 'The Conjuring', for New Line Cinema instead. Justin Lin, who directed the third to sixth in the series, was also offered the project but went on to make the next 'Star Trek' film rather than return.
Several cast members will be reprising their respective roles including Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham. It was reported by Digital Spy that Eva Mendes may make a surprising comeback as agent Monica Fuentes. Paul Walker's real-life brother Cody Walker, who filled in for his sibling to finish 'Furious 7' posthumously, is also rumored to come in and join the all-star ensemble.
Diesel responded to several speculations of the upcoming film's setting revealing that the story will take place in New York City. According to Time, Diesel's announcement in Jimmy Fallon's 'The Tonight Show' came a week after F. Gary Grey was officially confirmed as the 'Furious 8' director. The 48-year old action star and producer added, "Something that people don't know is the first movie came from a Vibe article that was about street racers in New York."
He went on to recall his friendship with Walker, including the first time they met. 'Furious 7' was a tribute to Walker, who met his untimely demise during filming.
'Fast and Furious 8' is the eighth film in the 'Fast and Furious' action franchise scheduled for release on April14, 2017. It is said to follow the events of 'Furious 7', which raked in $1.5 billion in the global box office and considered the highest grossing film in the franchise to date.
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