F. Gary Gray, the man that made the NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton a summer hit for Universal Pictures will now direct the studio’s eight installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
THR reports, “Sources say Gray has told the studio he wishes to initiate negotiations for a deal.”
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On Monday, three directors were revealed to be on Universal’s shortlist and among those F. Gary Gray was considered to be the frontrunner. Gray then met with franchise star Vin Diesel, who does have influence over who would direct it. The meeting went very well as you can see in the photo below, which Diesel posted on his Facebook page.
Gray previously directed Diesel in the 2003 film A Man Apart. That same year, Gray also directed The Italian Job remake starring Mark Wahlberg, a film that had some thrilling car chase scenes. The experience Gray acquired from those elaborate sequences will serve him well when he tackles the next Fast & Furious movie.
Posted by Vin Diesel on Monday, October 5, 2015
Fast 8 is scheduled to be released in movie theaters on April 14, 2017.
