"Furious 7" proved to be one of 2015's most successful films. However, with helmers Justin Lin and James Wan stepping off the director's chair, the studios are in need of a new director for the next entry in the franchise. Before that though, it appears there is a need to lock down on the plot and screenplay before hiring another director. 

In an interview with Cinema Blend, "Fast & Furious" producer Neal Moritz explained that they are currently looking forward to understanding which direction they are going first and this will need a finished script.

"What we decided is that we are going to be a little further down the development process on the screenplay before we bring in a director," Moritz said. "We have talked to a lot of directors, but we just haven't made that decision because we're trying to still wrap our heads, 100 percent, about what the next 'Fast & Furious' is. Once we do that, then we'll bring in the director." 

As the subsequent report pointed out, it comes as no surprise that the studios want to take some time to develop the film's story and characters and to get a good sense of where they are going before hiring a director to take control. A lot of their plans halted with the tragic loss of actor Paul Walker and a few adjustments are needed for the films to move on. 

The seeds of the next "Fast & Furious" films were planted in the most recent film, with the introduction of Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) and a more sinister criminal organization pulling the strings behind the scenes. How they introduce what comes next will lie entirely on the shoulders of their screenwriters. 

Until "Fast & Furious 8" gets a finished screenplay, it appears that the studios won't be locking in a director for the time being. But given that the next film is slated for April 14, 2017, fans can expect the development process to go by quickly and a director might be chosen before the end of the year so that they may begin production by 2016.