"Furious 7" has made it into the history books as one of the five highest grossing films of all time. According to Box Office Mojo, the seventh "Fast and Furious" film now stands at about $1.349 billion worldwide, followed by "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" at $1.342 billion, and "Frozen" which earned $1.27 billion total.
The cast of "Furious 7" largely attributes the film's success to what they call "The Paul Walker Effect," as fans of the series flocked to movie theaters to bid farewell to the beloved actor who has been a part of the main cast since the first installment of the series. With Walker's brothers standing in for the late actor in a few scenes coupled with director James Wan's artistry and impressive CGI effects, the film was everything that a fan expected it to be — a high octane, wildly entertaining movie, but also a fitting tribute to a character adored worldwide.
With Dom and the rest of the crew saying goodbye to Walker's character Brian as he settles into a peaceful life with his family, fans are wondering what to expect when "Furious 8" premieres.
For months, there has been an ongoing debate whether the franchise would continue or not after Walker's death. But recently, Vin Diesel took to the stage at CinemaCon and confirmed that "Fast & Furious 8" is happening, and it will be in theaters in two years.
Following Diesel's confirmation, there has been a lot of revelations and speculations about the film.
This weekend, The Nerd Report caught up with Dwayne Johnson and asked if he would be back for "Furious 8," to which the actor said, "Of course. Can't go on without Hobbs."
The former WWE pro wrestler made his debut on "Fast Five" and has been an important ally to Dom's crew since then.
As for who else is joining the upcoming film, there is no doubt that original cast members Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, and Tyrese Gibson will be back. No word yet on whether Jordana Brewster will be back, as the actress who plays Mia — Brian's wife — will presumably stay wherever Brian is at the moment. Lucas Black will be reprising his role as Sean Boswell as Deadline reports that the star has signed on for "Furious 8" and "9."
One persistent rumor suggests the return of Eva Mendes' character, U.S. Customs Agent Monica Fuentes, according to Cinemablend. Certainly, the actress' return to the franchise will be a big draw for the series, with its ever-expanding cast and boundary-pushing plots and action sequences.
"Fast & Furious 8" will be in theaters on April 14, 2017.
