Universal Studios plans to make history through the production of "Fast and Furious 8," by being the first large-scale movie franchise to shoot scenes in Cuba.
The studio announced that the production team behind "Furious 8" is going through the necessary processes to file for permission to shoot some of it's fast-rolling and high-speed scenes in the country of Cuba.
"Universal Pictures is currently in the process of seeking approval from the United States and Cuban governments to explore shooting a portion of the next installment of the 'Fast & Furious' series in Cuba," a spokesman from Universal Studios said in an interview with Variety.
"Fast and Furious 8" is widely known and accepted by audiences for its destructive car chases, big explosions and intense fight scenes, some things that Cuba has never experienced in a film production. In fact, the only previous Hollywood production on Cuban soil was "Papa," a small indie film which was set during the Cuban Revolution.
"The Cuban government is supportive and the U.S. government is supportive," senior policy adviser to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council John Kavulich said about the possibility of production pushing through. "Licenses for television and motion picture productions are bilateral issues and they will receive bilateral support."
According to IMDB, Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel will be returning to reprise their roles as Agent Hobbs and Dominic Torero respectively. The website also lists Jason Statham on the list of the cast, meaning that the team of specialised race-car drivers will have to face the threat that is Deckard Shaw once again. Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris are also listed as credited cast.
F. Gary Gray will be manning the helm as film director. Gran is known for his other action movies including "Law Abiding Citizen," "The Italian Job" and "Straight Outta Compton."
The eight installment of the film franchise is set to hit screens on April 17, 2017.
