'Fast and Furious 8' could start filming before 'xXx 3'

Fast and Furious 8Twitter via F Gary Gray

Vin Diesel is a very busy actor these days. As previously reported, he is scheduled to work with NBC on a television series surrounding the "Riddick" lore while also preparing to film "Riddick 4" in 2017. He also has "Fast and Furious 8" and a sequel to "xXx" lined up. However, it is likely Diesel will prioritize "Fast and Furious 8" above all else.

As posted on IMDB, the eighth "Fast and Furious" film is scheduled to release on April 14, 2017 and it already has "Straight Outta Compton" director F. Gary Gray attached to helm the project. At the time, being this is the only film in his current lineup that is this far deep into development and pre-production.

Back in October, Vin Diesel appeared as a guest for an episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and in the midst of their discussion the actor did confirm that the next film would be set and shot primarily in New York City, a first for the series.

If the production has already locked in the location for filming then it is likely that "Fast and Furious 8" will be shot prior to any of Diesel's other big projects.

There is also the wave of success that "Fast and Furious 7" enjoyed in its theatrical run. To date, "Fast and Furious 7" is the fifth highest grossing film worldwide and managed to earn well over $1.5 billion. It is very likely that Universal Pictures will want to prioritize on the next entry while the franchise is still popular and topping the box office.

At this moment there are no confirmations regarding the film's plot, although there are talks of Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone joining. Other rumors point to the inclusion of Cody Walker, Matt Damon, and Helen Mirren, although none of them has yet confirmed their casting.