Vin Diesel isn’t subtle. One time, when he wanted to tease fans with
[[ ah ref http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Vin-Diesel-Shows-Off-Hannibal-Title-Treatment-During-Crazy-Helicopter-Video-66991.html ]] the title art of his planned Hannibal biopic, he did it from the inside of a private helicopter. This is how Vin Diesel rolls. Today, he’s continuing to sell Fast & Furious 8, basically confirming on Instagram a nugget he dropped earlier: the gang is heading to Manhattan in 2017.
[[ ah ref http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Vin-Diesel-Shows-Off-Hannibal-Title-Treatment-During-Crazy-Helicopter-Video-66991.html ]]
As part of #TorettoTuesday, Vin Diesel posted the above graphic on his Instagram page. There’s no message to the fans beyond, "Here’s a shot of New York City. We’re coming." The photo actually lacks some of NYC's major, distinguishable landmarks. We don’t see the Chrysler Building, or the Empire State Building on this skyline. But that’s undoubtedly the Brooklyn Bridge in the foreground, so the photo confirms what Diesel told Jimmy Kimmel during a recent spot on his late-night talk show.
Furious 8 wasn’t always a no-brainer, though. The franchise obviously was rocked to its core by the loss of founding father Paul Walker. Furious 7 director James Wan worked magic behind the scenes to complete a sequel that was only half finished when Walker died. And while Furious 7 was – and continues to be – a massive global sensation, several have said that it works as a fitting end to the long-running series, with both Brian (Walker) and Dom (Diesel) riding off into the sunset.
Except, when Furious 7 was conceived, it was planned as the start of a new trilogy of films, with Kurt Russell’s Mr. Nobody acting as the connective tissue working through parts 8 and 9. While 9 remains a mystery, the seeds of Furious 8 are being sown rather quickly. Universal confirmed the sequel at CinemaCon in April. Dwayne Johnson promised that he’d be back. And now Diesel’s beating the drum for a New York adventure once again.
The Fast & Furious franchise has made tremendous use of its locations over the years, from the streets of Los Angeles to the favelas of Brazil and the deserts and skyscrapers of Abu Dhabi. New York should be an incredible playground for Dom Toretto (Diesel) and the members of his crew. Who will direct the next chapter? We’ll find out soon enough, but for now, brace for Furious 8, which rolls into theaters on April 14, 2017.
