The Fate of the Furious

Plot

With Dom and Letty on their honeymoon, Brian and Mia having retired from the game, and the rest of the crew exonerated, the team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman seduces Dom into a world of crime he cannot seem to escape, causing him to betray those closest to him, they will face trials that will test them as never before.

Cast

Helen Mirren has been cast as the mother of Deckard and Owen Shaw. Scott Eastwood joined the cast as a law enforcement agent working under Petty, and Kristofer Hivju stars as Rhodes, one of Cipher's henchmen.

Development

Following the release of Furious 7 (2015), Vin Diesel said regarding a possible sequel:

I was trying to keep it close to the vest throughout the release. Paul Walker used to say that [an eighth film] was guaranteed. And in some ways, when your brother guarantees something, you sometimes feel like you have to make sure it comes to pass... so if fate has it, then you'll get this when you hear about it. [Furious 7] was for Paul, [the eighth film] is from Paul.

Diesel further hinted at an eighth film on Jimmy Kimmel Live! when he stated that Kurt Russell's character had been introduced in a role that would span multiple films. He also stated that the film would take place in New York City. Chris Morgan will write his sixth script in the franchise, while Neal H. Moritz returns to produce the film. Moritz later stated, "[The story] is going to have to be something enticing for all of us. It has to be as good as or better [than Furious 7]".

At the 2015 CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Diesel announced the film for an April 14, 2017 release date. On August 16, 2015, at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards (where Furious 7 received the award for Choice Movie – Action and Walker received the award for Choice Movie Actor – Action), Diesel announced that the film would be titled Fast 8. In September 2015, Diesel stated that the script had almost been completed and expressed interest in Rob Cohen, who directed the first film, to direct Fast 8. On October 14, 2015, Diesel announced on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray would direct the film. The film marks Diesel and Gray's second work together, following A Man Apart (2003).

In July 2015, Moritz said that Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, would not appear in the film, following the use of CGI in the previous film after Walker died in a single-vehicle accident on November 30, 2013, with Moritz stating that his character had "moved on". It had previously been reported that Paul's younger brother, Cody Walker, would either join the cast in a new role or replace his older brother in the role of O'Conner, however, it was later confirmed that he would not be returning to the franchise. Moritz also said that the film would shift the focus of the franchise from a series of heist films to a spy caper, following a similar change in focus from street racing in Fast Five (2011). In December 2016, the film was retitled The Fate of the Furious.

Casting

Diesel, Russell, and Michelle Rodriguez were the first to confirm their involvement in the film, and Tyrese Gibson and Chris Bridges both confirmed their return soon after, with Lucas Black having already signed on to reprise his role from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift as Sean Boswell for Furious 7, and two more installments in September 2013. In May 2015, Dwayne Johnson confirmed his involvement in the film, additionally hinting at a possible spin-off film involving his character, Luke Hobbs. Jason Statham also confirmed his return.

In April 2016, Charlize Theron and Kristofer Hivju were confirmed as additions to the cast in villainous roles, while Scott Eastwood also joined the cast as a law enforcement agent. On May 17, 2016, Diesel posted a photo on his Instagram page of himself and Elsa Pataky on set, indicating that she had also returned for the film, and was followed two days later by a video on set with Nathalie Emmanuel, who also starred in the previous film. In June 2016, Helen Mirren announced in an interview with Elle that she will be appearing in the film.

On July 11, 2016, Don Omar tweeted that he and Tego Calderon will be returning to the franchise for the eighth picture.

During an interview with Chris Mannix on July 21, 2016, Lucas Black confirmed he would not be appearing in the eighth installment due to scheduling conflicts.

Filming

In keeping with the franchise's penchant for filming in "exotic" locations, such as Dubai and Rio de Janeiro, in January 2016 it was announced that Universal was seeking approval from the United States and Cuban governments to shoot the film in Cuba. Principal photography began on March 14, 2016, in Mývatn, Iceland, where strong winds sent a plastic iceberg prop flying into a paddock and striking two horses. One was wounded and the other mortally injured; it was later euthanized. In late April, filming began in Cuba's capital city Havana. In May, filming also took place in Cleveland, Ohio. Franchise cinematographer, Stephen F. Windon, was confirmed to return for the eighth installment.

Filming also took place in Atlanta and New York City.

Release

The Fate of the Furious is scheduled to be released in theaters April 14, and will receive a day-and-date release across major markets like the U.S., China, U.K., and India.