And the Furious 8 directorial search is down to three

October 5th 2015, 6:08pm

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

And then there were three.

After some jockeying for position as to who might helm the next installment of the FAST & FURIOUS saga (their choice of words, not mine), it doesn’t look like either Vin Diesel or Rob Cohen are going to get the nod to hop behind the camera. Instead Universal has narrowed their directorial search for FURIOUS 8 down to three candidates, according to The Hollywood Reporter – F. Gary Gray, Louis Leterrier and Adam Wingard – with The Wrap reporting that Gray is the frontrunner for the gig at this point.

All three are set to meet with the studio and Diesel this week, and, from those conversations, the hope is that a choice will be made as to who will sit in the director’s chair to kick off this final trilogy of movies for the franchise.

Universal has been high on Gray since he delivered them a surprise hit over the summer with STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON. Gray also has worked with Diesel in the past on A MAN APART, and it is hard to put a knock on Gray’s credentials for what the film would entail, given his experience on films like SET IT OFF, THE NEGOTIATOR and THE ITALIAN JOB. His experience makes it seem as if FURIOUS 8 would be right in his wheel house.

Letterier also has his share of action experience, having pulled off a pair of Statham-starring TRANSPORTER flicks earlier in his career. Toss in THE INCREDIBLE HULK and CLASH OF THE TITANS and Leterrier has shown himself to be a capable hand with a film of this magnitude. The results have been dodgy to say the least, but you’d have to try really hard to screw up a FAST & FURIOUS movie at this point.

Wingard is the most interesting choice of the group, having cut his teeth mostly in horror. However, THE GUEST proved that he does have skills beyond just one genre, and this could be the opportunity that takes Wingard to the next level as a filmmaker. And who wouldn’t want to see Wingard with a little more clout to be able to make the films he has in the past on a bigger scale? If FURIOUS 8 helps get him there, I’m all for it.

Your turn to pick though…. If these are the three choices in the running to helm FURIOUS 8, who are you going with?

FURIOUS 8 is still scheduled to be released April 14, 2017, so whoever gets the gig had better get moving.