If the plan works out, the eighth chapter in the high-octane series about a crew of street racers who occasionally save the world would be the first major studio film to shoot on the island. A studio blockbuster like a Fast & Furious is a significantly different step. It will be the first instalment of a trilogy that will mark the end of the Fast and Furious franchise. An independent movie production for a movie called Papa starring Giovanni Ribisi about a journalist visiting famed author Ernest Hemingway also shot in Cuba in 2014. But now we learn too that the movie is likely to be set in part in Cuba.
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“The Cuban government is supportive and the USA government is supportive”, he said.
Previously, the films have been in settings fit for vehicle chases such as Dubai, London, Japan, and Los Angeles. There are a number of advantages to shooting in Cuba, beyond popular interest in the island country.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal Pictures just might be the first to take on this venture.
Several hurdles still need to be overcome including ensuring that the country is capable of handling big-budget shoot that a film of this nature requires but insiders are hopeful something can be done by the time production begins this spring. The country also has a native entertainment industry and does boast soundstages.
What do YOU think of the decision to film in Cuba?? “From the Cuban point of view, these lkinds of films would bring in money and attract positive publicity”.
Director F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton) is looking to take the series where no movie has gone since the 1962 embargo.
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“Furious 8” was announced by star Vin Diesel a year ago at the CinemaCon, adding that he, along with co-stars Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, and Kurt Russell, are expected to return, as well as other regulars like Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Elsa Pataky, and Lucas Black.
