"Furious 8" star Vin Diesel is very hands on with the eighth installment of the car chase franchise, and he was also one of the higher up's who decided on director F. Gary Gray.
Gray and Diesel actually worked together on the film "Straight Outta Compton," so when the two got down together to talk about their plans for "Furious 8," everything simply went great.
"I went to (Vin's) home and it was a reunion, cause I had already directed a movie with him earlier in my career, 15 years ago or so. We were both really excited to get back together and do it again," he shared during an interview with Collider. "We talked about all of the Fast movies up to this point, and where could we go. I think he was really happy with the vision I have for the franchise and I was really happy about where he sees not only his character going but the franchise itself, because he's a producer as well. So it was all love. Definitely all love."
Gray added that with regards to the growth of the characters and the expansion of their world, he will take cue from the latest blockbuster hit "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which was directed by J.J. Abrams.
According to the director, Abrams gave audiences "the spectacle and great action set pieces." But more than that, Abrams also delivered with regards to the growth of the "character and plotting and narrative."
"I think it's my job-and my intention-to do both," he continued. "You amp up everything, you work on the performances, you work on the story, you work on the action; it's just not one thing. Hopefully I bring more to it, that's part of the point is to bring something different to the franchise while still satisfying what the fans want."
Gray was careful not to dish out any spoilers for now, but what he can say is that he is happy with the direction they are taking. He guarantees that audiences will feel like "Furious 8" is "not more of the same."
"They feel like it's fresh, they feel like the characters they've come to know and love are there, but this is gonna be different, and that's probably the most I can give you right now," he said.
One detail that managed to make its way to the press is the fact that "Furious 8" will be set in Cuba. Gray neither confirmed nor denied the detail, but he did say that they have "flown around the world to scout, and it's pretty profound some of the things that we've uncovered and how it's gonna serve our story."
