Considering that Furious 7 was a huge hit, can there be any wonder that there will be a sequel? Of course there will be, and Universal already has a release date in mind for it that is set two years from this writing. The big question is how it will develop the story it left from Furious 7, and here is what we know about Fast and Furious 8 cast and plot rumors.
SlashFilm reports that Vin Diesel took the stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas and announced that the eighth Fast and Furious film will be released on April 14, 2017. Diesel even added that Fast and Furious 8 will be "the best movie you've ever seen", and I'll explain more on that later.
You have to admit that announcing a film with that sentence gives it a lot to live up to. So, what will Fast and Furious 8 actually be about? Rumor has it that it will take place in New York, and should bring back the primary cast, as well as Kurt Russell, who had a small role in Furious 7 but has apparently taken root in this franchise.
The big question on everyone's minds is how do you replace Paul Walker. Even though Vin Diesel is the name associated with the franchise, the original story was always about Paul Walker's character. His brothers Cody and Caleb walker had to stand in for him because of his untimely death before the release of Furious 7, but his character is a void that demands to be filled for Fast and Furious 8.
The Day Herald reports that many names are being tossed around to be the new Paul Walker in Fast and Furious 8. One of them is Kurt Russell himself, which would change the central character to one that was young and up-and-coming to that of a veteran. It could be Dwayne Johnson, if he wishes to return to the franchise. Then there is the possibility of Cody Walker, which would probably mean introducing him as the brother of Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker's character name in the Fast and Furious series).
Whatever the case, Fast and Furious 8 will be the first film without Paul Walker from the beginning, and Vin Diesel, in paying tribute to his best friend, held back tears in the formal announcement as he said: "I swear to you and my brother upstairs, we are going to make the best movie you've ever seen". You can rest assured that Diesel will put his heart in this story, which he is developing with producer Neil Moritz and writer Chris Morgan.
The Fast and Furious 8 (or whatever its official name will be) is certainly planned to be a hit, but it will also go up against two other movies that could be hits as well. It will open the same day as Ghost in the Shell, an adaptation of a popular anime starring Scarlett Johansson. One week before that, Guillermo del Toro will release the long-awaited Pacific Rim 2. One can only hope that it is as good of a movie as Diesel wants it to be with that competition.
