"New roads ahead." At least that's what the tagline reads in the latest Fast 8 teaser image that Vin Diesel shared on his Instagram. For the Fast and Furious star and the millions of fans of the franchise alike, the eighth installment represents a brave collective move forward to "new roads" following the death of the late Paul Walker, who was killed in a car accident during the middle of Furious 7 production.
The Dom Toretto actor announced plans for Fast and Furious 8 as early as October last year during an interview on the Jimmy Fallon show. More importantly, Diesel announced that the film will take place in New York City.
"Something that people don’t know is the first movie came from a Vibe article that was about street racers in New York," said Diesel on the Tonight Show. The eighth installment represents a belated opportunity for The Fast And The Furious to honor its roots.
That said, New York City won't be the only setting. According to reports, Cuba may appear in the anticipated film as well. In fact, the filmmakers have made a research trip to Cuba to seek possible locations, although no final decisions have been announced.
"Universal Pictures is currently in the process seeking approval from the United States and Cuban governments to explore shooting a portion of the next installment of the Fast & Furiousseries in Cuba," said a statement from the studio via Variety.
Vin Diesel will be joined by the core Fast and Furious family including Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, as well as the Furious 7 baddie Jason Statham and the mysterious Kurt Russell. Production is expected to begin later this year.
Fast and Furious 8 will be directed by F. Gary Gray of Straight Outta Compton fame and is expected to arrive in theaters April 2017.
