The unstoppable success achieved by the seventh installment of the Fast and Furious franchise seemed to have made the eighth movie's production inevitable. As Fast and Furious 7 passes its billion-dollar mark since its opening day, fans and followers of the series have been waiting anxiously for news of an upcoming movie under the same franchise. Hence, the announcement made by Vin Diesel himself in CinemaCon in Las Vegas was a welcome surprise to many.
According to USA Today, Diesel finally confirmed the authenticity of the rumors circulating regarding the possibility of Fast and Furious 8. While this piece of information has been passed around for quite sometime now, the announcement still surprised the public because of the next film's upcoming date. In his announcement, the actor said that Fast and Furious 8 will hit theatres on April 14, 2017.
Apart from announcing the release date of the next film, Diesel also went on to assure fans that the upcoming flick will make everyone involved in the project - even the late Paul Walker himself - proud of the outcome. "I swear to you and I swear to my brother upstairs we're going to make the best movie you've ever seen," the star told fans on Friday.
Taking cue from the apparent quickness in making the decision to create another movie under the same series as well as from the confidence of Universal Pictures to announce a specific premier for Fast and Furious 8, it appears that plans might have been set in motion early on. This could also be observed from the random hints dropped by Diesel himself in various interviews he attended.
"You know I always think of these films [Fast and Furious] as multiple pictures in advance," he said in a guest appearance at Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this year. "I think of them as trilogies," he added.
Diesel went on to give clues on the possible storyline for the next film. "Kurt Russell came in for this movie, but he was really, we really hired him because of a story that follows this," he revealed. "That takes place in New York," the actor further disclosed.
Russell has been introduced as Mr. Nobody, who was merely described as a government agent, prior to the Fast and Furious 8, and it is only fitting for one of Hollywood's most remarkable actors to play a major role in what could be the franchise's best installment. Apart from this plot spoiler, Diesel also hinted on a different location for the next film.
