Throughout seven films and endless vehicular carnage, there may not be a way for the Fast & Furious to really top itself with the upcoming eighth installment. Creative casting may help soothe that as Deadline reported the exclusive that the Fast 8 team are possibly looking to add a female villain to the muscle cars/testosterone mix. More enticing is that Oscar winning actress Charlize Theron may be courted to fill that role.
Universal, the distributor behind the franchise, hasn’t officially commented on the casting but there’s one trick that may lure Imperator Furiosa to the Fast & Furious mold: the eighth installment is being directed by Theron’s former The Italian Job collaborator F. Gary Gary (fresh off the success of Straight Outta Compton). Talks between the two camps aren’t confirmed yet and no official offer has been made Theron’s way.
With diversity in Hollywood is all the rage right now, it’s worth nothing that the Fast & Furious franchise has always been on the more inclusive side of things when it comes to casting as well as off-screen talent; a female villain will only add that. Vin Diesel, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris all look primed to drive again in Fast 8. Theron recently proved her action heroine bona fides in the Oscar nominated Mad Max: Fury Road (winning many best in show mentions) as the aforementioned Furiosa.
Theron will next be seen in the Snow White and the Huntsman follow-up The Huntsman Winter’s War (which boasts a lively female-heavy cast with Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain), has a voice role in the upcoming Kudo and the Two Strings and is committed to the thriller The Coldest City. If there’s a break in her schedule, Fast 8 may soon fill it. We will stay tuned.
Fast 8 is scheduled to hit theaters on April 14, 2017.