In the weeks leading up to last Friday’s debut ofFurious 7, we started to hear murmurs ofFast & Furious 8. The sequel sounded like it was a done deal, withHelen Mirrenvying for the role of villain andVin Dieselteasing a New York based storyline on various talk shows. We even heard a rumor that2 Fast 2 FuriousstarEva Mendeswas wanted back as Agent Fuentes. All this sequel talk is a little too much too soon claims producerNeal H. Moritz, who is trying to bask in the success of his latest blockbuster hit. Fast & Furious 8 is not happening yet, and it will need a better story than Furious 7 if it’s to move forward. He explains:
“Honestly, we’re just bathing in the success of [Furious 7]. We’ll probably get together in a week or so to talk. [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].”
In its debut weekend, Furious 7 raced in with a franchise best opening of $392 million worldwide. Many believed the announcement of Fast & Furious 8 would arrive early this week. But that has not been the case.THR, who spoke with the producer, predicts that the sequel will be announced at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in just a few weeks. But there are many things that need to be worked out first.
Furious 7 directorJames Wanis too busy shootingThe Conjuring 2this fall to immediately jump back into this world for a follow-up. AndJustin Lin, who revitalized the franchise, directing 2006’sThe Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Driftthrough 2013’sFast & Furious 6, has moved onto Paramount’sStar Trek 3. It also isn’t clear which stars may return, as most have run through their options. So new contracts will have to be negotiated, which means they’ll likely be seeking more money considering how the franchise continues to grow. Universal has been quite vocal about wanting 10 movies all together for the series, andVin Dieselclaims this latest sequel kick starts a new trilogy. If that’s truly the case, we’ll surely hear about Fast & Furious 8 getting the green light soon.
