With the runaway success of Furious 7, it comes as little surprise that another sequel has been earmarked for production. The latest installment, which debuted in theaters earlier this month, crested the billion dollar mark faster than any movie in history, and currently sits as the seventh highest grossing film of all time.
Furious 7 saw the series “mature” significantly, not only in terms of production value and stunt work, but because of the death of one of the franchise’s key players, Paul Walker, while in the midst of the film’s production. The tragedy affected Diesel particularly hard, who considered Walker a part of the family – so much so that he named his daughter after the late actor.
Speaking to theater owners at the Universal Pictures panel in Las Vegas at CinemaCon on Thursday, Vin Diesel announced that the eighth installment in the franchise will land in theaters on April 14, 2017. It was the same location that Diesel and Walker had chosen in 2013 to announce the forthcoming Furious 7.
“We were giddy and excited,” said Diesel of the 2013 event. “You all gave me so much confidence. There was so much love.”
Just before Diesel’s announcement about the eighth film, footage screened of the final scene from Furious 7, which served as a good bye to Walker’s character as well as a tribute to the actor himself.
“You’ve been so loyal all along,” Diesel told exhibitors. “You helped us create history here.”