Vin Diesel may want to direct Furious 8, or perhaps have his buddy Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious) take the helm, but Universal will never let either option get off the starting line. So the search is on for someone to take over as the film already has a date set for 2017, and after a few contenders emerged just last week, three new options are ready to take the wheel.
Louis Leterrier, who was one of the names mentioned previously, is joined by Adam Wingard, William Eubank, and F. Gary Gray on the short list. So much for Point Break's Ericson Core. Leterrier has the most blockbuster experience as director of Now You See Me, The Incredible Hulk, and Clash of the Titans, but F. Gary Gray is hot right after the mammoth success of Straight Outta Compton. Wingard is probably the art house favorite after two stellar genre films, You're Next and The Guest, but would Universal be willing to hand the keys of their biggest franchise to him? The same goes for Eubank, who last directed the little-seen sci-fi thriller The Signal.
Apparently the directors will meet with Diesel next week, kiss the ring (or his bald head) and hope he chooses one of them. Furious 8 opens April 14th 2017. [Variety]
