Three last rides: that’s the current projection for Universal’s barnstorming Fast and Furious franchise, with early plans in place to assemble the Toretto crew for a trio of globe-trotting adventures before retiring the series once and for all. Whether the franchise has the mileage for another three installments remains to be seen, but the studio has appointed Straight Outta’ Compton director F. Gary Gray to helm Furious 8.
And even though a decade has lapsed since the release of Rob Cohen’s original The Fast and the Furious in 2001, Vin Diesel has revealed that the upcoming street-racing sequel will harbor an innate connection with the film that started it all.
Appearing on The Tonight Show to promote his soon-to-be-released fantasy vehicle The Last Witch Hunter, Diesel revealed that the original Fast and Furious took inspiration from a 1998 Vibe article exposing the street-racing culture in New York City. Why is that significant, you ask? Because much like early reports had teased, the franchise stalwart confirmed that Furious 8 will indeed see the Toretto crew hit the Big Apple for Gray’s high-octane sequel.
Story details are remaining locked away in Universal’s vault for the time being, but Diesel’s revelation could mean that our ragtag bunch of petrolheads will either be pursuing some form of Macguffin or, on the other hand, they’re on the run themselves from a new big bad. Mind you, considering the fact that Jason Statham has been confirmed to return as one-man reign of terror Deckard Shaw, don’t be too surprised if the Toretto family lock horns with a familiar foe.
Gray will kick-off the franchise’s victory lap when Furious 8 courses into theaters on April 14, 2017. Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and the remainder of the Toretto family are all expected to return.
