Fast and Furious wants to shoot their next movie in Cuba.
According to a new report, Furious 8 is reportedly planning a production schedule around the Carribean country, Cuba.
Sources close to director F. Gary Gray, the director of Fast and Furious 8, say that the director has just returned from a scouting trip in Cuba including the previously embargoed nation as part of a research trip. Sources close to the Hollywood Reporter say production has moved forward and paperwork is being processed to shoot there, making it the first Hollywood feature film to film in Cuba since the embargo was put in place nearly 60 years ago.
“Universal Pictures is currently in the process seeking approval from the United States and Cuban governments to explore shooting a portion of the next installment of the Fast & Furiousseries in Cuba,” said a statement from the studio.
This is big news. It has been a little over a year since President Obama chose to end the embargo and rebuild a relationship with Cuba. A U.S. Embassy was recently opened for the first time in 50 years and new policies have opened up the possibility of increased filming in the Communist country.
But, Furious 8 does plan to film in Cuba, they are not the first production to set foot in the former Fidel Castro ruled country. In fact, Conan O’Brient went to Havana and the indie film, Bob Yari’s Papa became the first move to film in Cuba since the embargo was lifeted in 2014. In addition, Don Cheadle’s House of Lies plans on filming an episode in Cuba, becoming the first TV series to shoot there.
“It has a unique beauty to it,” says Yari of shooting in Cuba. “You’re in a very unique setting which is really hard to duplicate anywhere else. People have tried in places like the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, but Cuba has such unique features like the Morro Castle and the Malecon. It’s a beautiful location.”
But, Furious 8 has a lot of hoops to jump through before they officially start filming in Cuba. According to reports, producers have to get a special license to film there, which is not easy. In fact, “locations for any film are never set in stone and could easily change before shooting, and sources say the paperwork from the treasury department has not yet been approved for them to shoot in Cuba in the spring.”
Along with dealing with filming issues in Cuba, producers may also run into trouble with Vin Diesel. It was reported late last year that Vin Diesel was “difficult” on set of Furious 7. Hollywood Reporter sources say Diesel proved extraordinarily difficult. As a producer, he is said to have questioned even small details on elaborate action sequences, often holding up the complex production. He also was known to summon filmmakers to repeated late-night script sessions to make him comfortable with his character and dialogue.
Fast & Furious 8 is an upcoming movie in Universal Pictures’s The Fast and the Furious franchise. The film was officially announced by Vin Diesel and Universal Pictures, April 23, 2015 at CinemaCon. Fast & Furious 8 is currently slated for an April 14, 2017 release.
The previous Fast and Furious movie, Furious 7, earned $1.5 billion worldwide and included the final appearance of Paul Walker, who died in a fiery car crash before the movie was finished.
Vin Diesel announced that there will be three more Fast and Furious movies and there are reports of a spinoff series with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and several prequel movies.
