Universal is facing a bit of a headache over their petrolhead sequel Fast & Furious 8, with a notably empty director’s chair as the 2017 release date looms.
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Fast & Furious 8 is pencilled in for a release in April 2017 after the success of this year’s Furious 7, which is currently the fifth highest-grossing film of all time.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has approached Furious 7 director James Wan to return, but scheduling issues around The Conjuring 2 have made him unavailable.
Justin Lin, who has directed three entries of the series, has also been offered the job, but has chosen to make Star Trek Beyond instead.
Meanwhile, action director Jaume Collet-Serra (Run All Night) also turned down the job, leaving Universal to approach relative newcomers to direct their next tentpole sequel.
It’s a dire situation for the studio, who will have to start the ball rolling on Fast & Furious 8 very soon if they are going to hit their announced release date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=qvTY7eXXIMg
Originally published September 24, 2015. Updated December 15, 2019.
