This past weekend saw Furious 7 skid into theaters across the globe and rustle up a tidy sum at the box office. With its current haul roughly hovering around the $350 million mark, that sort of remuneration means future installments practically greenlight themselves. Of course, it’s no secret that the high-octane gas-guzzling sequel would not be the final outing for Toretto’s gang. Star Vin Diesel is betting on more sequels, after his recent promotional stint on the chat show circuit saw him announce the importance of Kurt Russell’s character in Fast & Furious 8.
The strong likelihood of all the actors – except for the sadly departed Paul Walker – reprising their roles for the next sequel bodes well for Universal. Considering their importance to Dom’s familial inner circle, we’ll be seeing Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Ludacris and Dwayne Johnson back to wage war against another crew of swarthy opponents.
And, if a recent scoop from Latino Review is to be believed, you can now add Eva Mendes to that list:
The actress first appeared back in 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious as U.S. Customs Agent Monica Fuentes, who also doubled as Brian O’Conner’s love interest. Having dropped off the Furious radar for a few sequels, she popped back up in Fast Five for a post-credits cameo during which she signalled that Letty was in fact alive.
What’s interesting to note in El Mayimbe’s scoop is the fact that the story hinges solely on Mendes’ involvement. She played a part in one of the least well-received installments and filmed a short credits scene. By and large she’s hardly a key ingredient in the success of the franchise, but if the creative heads have a story plotted out, then it makes sense. If Fuentes is such an integral cog in the Fast & Furious 8 story – then surely Mendes is already contracted, right?