The Fast and Furious franchise is unstoppable, as races rapidly towards more and more installments. The popularity of the 3 April released Furious 7 at the box office is obvious and with good reasons. This glorious period of the picture is probably the best moment to announce that it was not the last: Furious 8 is now a certainty and it is set to debut on 14 April 2017.
Due to the death of Furious actor Paul Walker, some fans considered that there would be no Furious 8, but there is no doubt about its release any longer. Vin Diesel himself was the one who confirmed the debut of Furious 8 for 2017 at Universal’s CinemaCon panel in Las Vegas on Thursday, according to Variety. Visibly emotional, Diesel thanked the crowd for its support and understanding, as he said: “It means a lot to me to get your blessing.” The idea of a sequel would, of course, trigger the memory of the late actor and friend Paul Walker, who died tragically in 2013. In order to make the moment even more emotional, before the big announcement, the final scenes of Furious 7 were screened to the public.
Then, Furious actor Vin Diesel reminded the audience about the announcement made two years ago. On the very same stage, Diesel along with late Paul Walker, were the ones who confirmed their plans on a seventh Furious installment. About their feelings back then, Vin Diesel stated that they were tremendously happy and eager “We were giddy and excited” and he furthermore thanked the audience for its support once more: “You all gave me so much confidence. There was so much love.” Without Paul Walker on the stage at Caesars Palace, Vin Diesel held the company of those listening as a remembrance of his friend.
Furious 8 has a very difficult task as a Furious 7 follower. Ironically enough, picture seven in the Fast and Furious franchise in now number 7 on the list of highest-grossing films of all time with a total of $1.15 billion.