After much speculation, Furious 8 finds their director, F. Gary Gray. On Thursday, Oct. 8, the Straight Outta Compton filmmaker announced via Facebook that he’s signed on to direct the next chapter in the franchise.
The news follows just days after actor Vin Diesel shared an image of himself and Gary together alongside a collage of images featuring scenes from the action-packed series. On Mon., Oct. 5, trade reports circulated that Gray was one of the favorites for the gig; while most media outlets pegged him as the most likely choice of all the rumored names including Justin Lin (Star Trek Beyond) and James Wan (The Conjuring 2), among others.
As you may recall, Diesel initially slammed claims that Universal had filled the position. “The fans of the Fast & Furious SAGA are the best fans in the world… Since I became the Producer in 2008, you have been with me every step of the way… literally giving me feedback that proved invaluable. Thank you. — My producing partner Neal would love for me to just sign off on a director, but this is too special a franchise, so these matters have to be very carefully handled. To be clear, NO ONE has been offered to helm Fast 8 yet… let alone seen a script.
Universal has been so good to me and so trusting of the vision… they have been like family… I promised the studio I would deliver one last Trilogy to end the saga,” he shared via Facebook on Sept. 25.
I could not have asked for better partners than Vin Diesel, Neal H. Moritz, & the Universal Studios Entertainment…
Posted by F Gary Gray on Thursday, October 8, 2015
This could be Gray’s biggest project yet, as he’s inheriting a monstrous franchise and one of Universal’s key series. In April, Furious 7 shattered box-office records, making it the fifth highest-grossing film of all time. Though Universal’s astounding 2015 box office success was spearheaded by Furious 7 and Jurassic World, Gray’s Straight Outta Compton was a sleeper hit that grossed an additional $196 million worldwide.
Gray replaces Furious 7 director James Wan, who will be stepping away to direct the recently announced “MacGyver” reboot at CBS. Fast and Furious 8 will be in theaters April 14, 2017.
