Fast & Furious 8 Release Date, Cast, Rumors; Helen Mirren, Matt Damon to Join Crew

By Komfie Manalo
Vin Diesel
Cast member and producer Vin Diesel poses at the premiere of the new film, ''Fast & Furious 6'' at Universal Citywalk in Los Angeles May 21, 2013. Reuters/Fred Prouser  Reuters

With seven films rolled out over the course of a decade, the Fast and Furious series is one of the most successful franchises in the film industry. The high-octane franchise has grossed over $3 billion combined in worldwide ticket sales, and it is still going strong. And with the news of an upcoming Fast and Furious 8, that $3 billion will only go higher.

The rumor mill is abuzz with tidbits of information and speculation regarding their upcoming sequel. Several actors have already confirmed their return to the 8th installment of the franchise, including Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson and Jason Statham.

Franchise lead actor Diesel previously teased English actress Helen Mirren's inclusion in the film, in an interview with MTV news. Mirren, the Hammersmith born actress has switched gear to play more action-packed roles, like her role as Victoria Winslow in the RED franchise, alongside veteran action star, Bruce Willis. If it turns out to be a fact, it would be quite exciting to see what role the Academy Award winner will play and her chemistry with the other cast members.

But Mirren isn't the only Academy Award winning thespian Furious 8 is eyeing.

In an interview with the Toronto Sun, Gibson apparently want the Bourne franchise star Matt Damon to be in the sequel, too. "There is definitely a number eight, yeah! And I want Matt Damon to join us," he professed.

But even if Mirren and Damon don't turn up for the racing sequel, there will definitely be another chance.

Diesel, who is also serving as the film's producer, told Variety that there will definitely be more films to come. Furious 8 is reportedly the first of a trilogy that will close the franchise. So fret not, because fans will have a lot more to look forward to--including spin-offs and prequels.

"We've written out story lines for various characters," explained Diesel. "We've been playing with it for a long time. It's a very rich property and we're committed to treating it with a lot of class."

There are still actors who are rumored to be featured in the planned films, and also includes adding Paul Walker brothers in the upcoming sequels. Although nothing is still confirmed, but fans of the franchise will surely have a lot to look forward to. With all the plans for prequels and spin-off, it looks like Fast and Furious is gearing-up to establish its own cinematic universe.

Fast and Furious 8 is set to zoom into cinemas on April 14, 2017.

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