Fast and Furious 8 release date has been set for April 14, 2017. This was confirmed by franchise star Vin Diesel on April 23 at Universal's Cinema Con presentation in Las Vegas, NV. The actor did not give specific plot and cast details. Furious 8 will be the first film after co-star Paul Walker's tragic death in a 2013 car crash. During the presentation, Diesel apparently held back tears while paying tribute to his late friend.
"I swear to you and to my brother upstairs [Walker], we are going to make the best movie you've ever seen," said Diesel, who stars as former criminal and professional street racer Dominic "Dom" Torretto.
Walker died before Furious 7 filming was completed. After a hiatus, Universal completed production with the help of lookalikes including Walker's brothers Caleb and Cody. In a few scenes, the studio used CGI special effects to recreate Paul Walker.
Furious 7 went on to gross more than $1 billion worldwide, following its April 3 debut. The seventh Fast & Furious installment beat out Harry Potter's Deathly Hallows 2, according to the most recent update from Box Office Mojo.
It is unclear whether Furious 7 director James Wan will be returning for Furious 8. According to Screen Rant, two major studios are in a tug-of-war struggle over Wan. Warner Bros. recently announced interests in bringing Wan onboard for the Aquaman movie, while Sony has invited Wan for initial talks regarding their Robotech film. Aquaman's release date is set for 2018, Robotech's debut remains unconfirmed.
Kurt Russell's Role Expanded in Furious 8 (Spoiler Alert Ahead)
Though there is not much detail regarding Furious 8's cast, Vin Diesel hinted that actor Kurt Russell's role will be expanded. This happened during a recent interview with ABC's Jimmy Kimmel. Diesel also revealed that part of the plot will be set in New York City.
"Kurt Russell came in for this movie, but we really hired him for a story that follows this that takes place in New York," Diesel explained.
In Furious 7, Russell starred as shadowy government agent Mr. Nobody. After rescuing Dom from main antagonist Deckard Shaw, Nobody convinces Dom to accept a mission for the United States government. The last time audience members saw Mr. Nobody, he had been shot in the back during a fight with Deckard. Russell's character apparently survives.
The Fast and Furious 8 filming schedule remains unannounced at this time.
