"Fast and the Furious 7" might be Paul Walker's last film in the franchise but it doesn't mean that the story of Dominic Toretto and friends already ended as well. Word is out that the sequel to the top-grossing film, "Fast and the Furious 8," is already set for 2017 with the producers finally settling on a replacement for Walker.
According to Inquistr, Vin Diesel, who portrayed Toretto in the film, confirmed that the sequel is pushing through and is set to come out in April 14, 2017. The actor made the announcement while he was at the Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas for the CinemaCon.
Diesel was emotional when he addressed the crowd in the event and made the announcement. "It means a lot to me to get your blessing," he said.
The actor added, "You've been so loyal all along. You helped us create history here."
Walker was in the middle of shooting for the film when he died in a tragic car accident in 2013. At that time, it was unclear what would happen to the film but things worked out and Walker's last film in the franchise became one of the top grossing films in history.
Director James Wan revealed in an interview with Collider in April that the movie's ending was supposed to be different than what was shown. He said that the final scenes in the film was supposed to set up "the bigger world of where the 'Fast and the Furious' franchise would go into." After Walker's death, however, the studio decided it would be best to make it as a sort of tribute to their colleague.
After the movie opened to theaters, it was uncertain how the franchise would continue and fans were in anticipation if a sequel would push through.
Now that Diesel confirmed it, the next big question is what would happen to Walker's character and if the studio has already seen a worthy replacement.
Diesel revealed that Kurt Russell is set for a bigger role in the upcoming eighth film, according to Christian Post. Hence, many speculations surfaced stating that he would replace Walker.
Russell's role in the last film opened a can of worms that would be explored in "Fast and the Furious 8," which many believe would be a good avenue to explore and expand in the next film. This could also point to the 64-year-old actor becoming a lead character in the story.
Russell and the studio have yet to confirm these reports and it remains to be seen what would happen to the story when it debuts on theaters on April 14, 2017.
