First 'Fast 8' Image Sets A Course To New York City

The Fast & Furious franchise can be summed up by two things: family and evolution. The bond between the cast and the characters on screen has been a focus throughout, and that was never more stark than when Paul Walker passed away in the middle of shooting Furious 7. But the franchise has also been about change, beginning as a simple street racer and growing into a multi-national blockbuster that routinely is among the highest-grossing films of the year. And now as Fast 8 is in production, Vin Diesel and Co. are once again forging a new road.

Diesel hit social media and revealed the first promo image from Fast 8, and it confirms New York City as a primary locale. Captioned "New Roads Ahead", the film enters uncertain waters following the "retirement" of Walker's Brian O'Connor character, and hitting the Big Apple, something that has never happened before, is a good way to chart a different course.  Filming is expected to take place in New York, Atlanta, Cuba, and more.

The series also has a new director to contend with in F. Gary Gray, who is coming off the success (albeit an Oscar snub) of Straight Outta Compton.  But that's never slowed them down before and it's unlikely to do so this time. Fast 8 hits theaters April 14th 2017. 

A photo posted by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel) on Jan 15, 2016 at 2:39pm PST