The Fate of the Furious

The Fate of the Furious (alternatively known as Fast & Furious 8 and Fast 8, and often stylized as F8) is a 2017 American action film directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Chris Morgan. It is the eighth installment in The Fast and the Furious franchise. The film stars Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Scott Eastwood, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Pataky, Kurt Russell and Charlize Theron. The Fate of the Furious follows Dominic Toretto (Diesel), who has settled down with his wife Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez), until cyberterrorist Cipher (Theron) coerces him into working for her and turns him against his team, forcing them to find Dom and take down Cipher.

The Fate of the Furious marks the first installment in the franchise since The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) not to feature both Paul Walker, who died on November 30, 2013 in a single-vehicle crash while the filming of Furious 7 (2015) was still in progress, and Jordana Brewster. Script rewrites to the seventh installment after Walker's death were intended to complete the story arcs for both of their characters (Brian O'Conner and Mia Toretto, respectively).

Plans for an eighth installment were first announced in March 2015 when Diesel appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and announced that the film would be set in New York City. Preparations for the film began immediately after the release of Furious 7, with Diesel, Morgan and producer Neal H. Moritz re-signing. After setting an initial release date in the same month, casting took place between April and June 2015. In October 2015, Gray was announced to direct the film in the place of James Wan, who had directed the previous installment. Principal photography began in March 2016 in locations such as Mývatn, Havana, Atlanta, Cleveland and New York City, continuing the franchise's tradition of filming in exotic locations around the world.

The Fate of the Furious premiered in Berlin on April 4, 2017 and was theatrically released in conventional and IMAX theaters in the United States on April 14, 2017 while also playing in 3D, IMAX 3D, and 4DX internationally. The film received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom praised the action sequences and acting performances but criticized the storyline. The film grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, making it the thirtieth film (and the second in the franchise, after Furious 7) to gross over $1 billion, the third-highest-grossing film of 2017 and the 11th highest-grossing film of all-time. It also grossed $542 million worldwide during its opening weekend, which was the highest of all-time. A sequel is scheduled to be released on May 22, 2020.

Plot
Dominic "Dom" Toretto and Letty Ortiz are on their honeymoon in Havana when Dom's cousin Fernando gets in trouble owing money to local racer Raldo. Sensing Raldo is a loan shark, Dom challenges Raldo to a race, pitting Fernando's reworked car against Raldo's, and wagering his own show car. After narrowly winning the race, Dom allows Raldo to keep his car, earning his respect, and instead leaves his cousin with his show car.

The next day, Dom is approached by the elusive cyberterrorist Cipher who coerces him into working for her by showing him an unseen photo. Shortly afterwards, Dom and his team, comprising Letty, Roman Pearce, Tej Parker, and Ramsey, are recruited by Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent Luke Hobbs to help him retrieve an EMP device from a military outpost in Berlin. During the getaway, Dom goes rogue, forcing Hobbs off the road and stealing the device for Cipher. Hobbs is arrested and locked up in the same high-security prison in which he helped imprison Deckard Shaw. After Shaw and Hobbs both escape the prison, they are recruited by intelligence operative Mr. Nobody and his protégé to help the team find Dom and capture Cipher. Shaw reveals that Cipher had hired his brother Owen to steal the Nightshade device and Mose Jakande to steal God's Eye, Ramsey's software program. The team tracks Dom and Cipher to their very location just as the latter two attack the base, causing injuries to the team, and stealing God's Eye. When Dom questions Cipher's motives, she reveals that she has been holding hostage Dom's ex-lover and DSS agent Elena Neves—as well as their son, of whose existence Dom was previously unaware. Elena tells Dom that she wanted him to decide the child's first name, having already given him the middle name Marcos.

In New York City, Cipher sends Dom to retrieve a nuclear football held by the Russian Minister of Defense. Prior to the theft, Dom briefly evades Cipher—with the help of Raldo—and persuades Shaw's mother, Magdalene Shaw, to help him. Cipher hacks into the electronics systems of a large number of cars, causing them to disable the convoy so that Dom can take the football. The team intercepts Dom, but Dom escapes, shooting and apparently killing Shaw in the process. Letty catches up to Dom, but is ambushed and nearly killed by Cipher's enforcer, Connor Rhodes, before Dom rescues her. In retaliation, Cipher has Rhodes execute Elena in front of Dom.

Dom infiltrates a base in Russia to use the EMP device to disable their security and then to disable a nuclear submarine, enabling Cipher to hijack it and attempt to use its arsenal to trigger a nuclear war. They are once again intercepted by the team, who attempt to shut down the sub, and then drive out toward the gates that would prevent the sub from leaving into open waters. Meanwhile, Shaw, whose death was faked, teams up with Owen, and at Magdalene's behest, infiltrates Cipher's plane to rescue Dom's son. Once Shaw reports that the child is safe, Dom turns on Cipher and kills Rhodes, before rejoining his team. Outraged, Cipher fires an infrared homing missile at Dom, but he breaks away from his team and maneuvers around it, causing the missile to hit the submarine instead. The team quickly forms a vehicular blockade around Dom, shielding him from the ensuing explosion. Shaw reaches the front of the plane and confronts Cipher, who jumps from the plane with a parachute.

Mr. Nobody and his protégé visit Dom and his team in New York City to report that Cipher is still at large in Athens. Hobbs is offered his DSS job back, but he declines in order to spend more time with his daughter. Shaw delivers Dom his son, putting his differences aside with Dom and Hobbs. Dom names his son Brian, after his friend and brother-in-law Brian O'Conner, and celebrates with his friends.

Cast

 * Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto, a former criminal and professional street racer who has retired and settled down with his wife, Letty. He is coerced by Cipher to work against his team.
 * Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs, a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent who allied with Dom and his team following their outings in Rio de Janeiro and Europe.
 * Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw, a rogue British Special Forces assassin who was imprisoned by Hobbs and the DSS after his defeat in Los Angeles, who serves as an ally to help Dom's team take down Cipher.
 * Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz, Dom's wife and a former professional street racer.
 * Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce, a former criminal from Barstow and a member of Dom's team.
 * Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej Parker, a mechanic from Miami and a member of Dom's team.
 * Scott Eastwood as Eric Reisner / Little Nobody, a law enforcement agent working under Mr. Nobody.
 * Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey, a computer hacktivist and a member of Dom's team.
 * Elsa Pataky as Elena Neves, the mother of Dom's child and a former Rio de Janeiro police officer who moved to the United States to become Hobbs' new partner at the DSS.
 * Kurt Russell as Mr. Nobody, an intelligence operative and the leader of a covert ops team which previously aided Dom and his team in taking down Deckard in Abu Dhabi.
 * Charlize Theron as Cipher, a criminal mastermind and cyberterrorist who coerces Dom into working against his team by holding Elena and their son hostage.

Tego Calderón and Don Omar reprise their roles from previous films as Tego Leo and Rico Santos, former members of Dom's team from the Dominican Republic and Rio de Janeiro, respectively. Luke Evans reprises his role from Fast & Furious 6 (2013) as Owen Shaw, Deckard's younger brother and a former Special Air Service (SAS) soldier who formerly opposed Dom's team in Europe, and who helps his brother in rescuing Dom's son. Kristofer Hivju appears as Connor Rhodes, Cipher's enforcer and right-hand man. Patrick St. Esprit appears as DS Allen. Helen Mirren makes an uncredited cameo appearance as Magdalene Shaw, the mother of Deckard and Owen Shaw. Celestino Cornielle portrays Raldo, a street racer whose respect Dom earns.

Development
Following the release of Furious 7 (2015), Vin Diesel said regarding a possible sequel: "I was trying to keep it close to the vest throughout the release. Paul Walker used to say that [an eighth film] was guaranteed. And in some ways, when your brother guarantees something, you sometimes feel like you have to make sure it comes to pass ... so if fate has it, then you'll get this when you hear about it. [Furious 7] was for Paul, [the eighth film] is from Paul."

Diesel further hinted at an eighth film on Jimmy Kimmel Live! when he stated that Kurt Russell's character would span multiple films. He also stated that the next film would take place in New York City. Chris Morgan wrote his sixth script in the franchise, while Neal H. Moritz returned to produce. Moritz later stated, "[The story] is going to have to be something enticing for all of us. It has to be as good as or better [than Furious 7]". At the 2015 CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Diesel announced the film for an April 14, 2017 release date. On August 16, 2015, at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards (where Furious 7 received the award for Choice Movie – Action and Walker received the award for Choice Movie Actor – Action), Diesel gave the film the initial title Fast 8. In September 2015, Diesel stated that the script had almost been completed, and expressed interest in Rob Cohen, who directed the first film, to direct the eighth installment. On October 14, 2015, Diesel announced on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray would direct the film.

In July 2015, Moritz said that Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, would not appear in the film, following the use of CGI in the previous film after Walker died in a single-vehicle accident on November 30, 2013, with Moritz stating that his character had "moved on". It had previously been reported that Paul's younger brother, Cody Walker, would either join the cast in a new role, or replace his older brother in the role of O'Conner; however, it was later announced that the character will not return to the franchise. Moritz also said that the film would shift the focus of the franchise from a series of heist films to a spy caper, following a similar change in focus from street racing in Fast Five (2011). In December 2016, the film was retitled The Fate of the Furious.

Casting
Diesel, Russell and Michelle Rodriguez were the first to confirm their involvement in the film, and Tyrese Gibson and Chris Bridges both confirmed their return soon after. Lucas Black had signed on to reprise his role from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift as Sean Boswell for Furious 7, and two more instalments in September 2013, though he did not appear in Fate. In May 2015, Dwayne Johnson confirmed his involvement in the film, additionally hinting at a possible spin-off film involving his character, Luke Hobbs. Jason Statham also confirmed his return. In April 2016, Charlize Theron and Kristofer Hivju were confirmed as additions to the cast, in villainous roles, while Scott Eastwood also joined the film as a law enforcement agent. On May 17, 2016, Diesel posted a photo on his Instagram page of himself and Elsa Pataky on set, indicating that she had also returned for the film, and was followed two days later by a video on set with Nathalie Emmanuel, who also starred in the previous film. In June 2016, Helen Mirren announced in an interview with Elle that she would appear in the film. In July 2016, Don Omar tweeted that he and Tego Calderón would return to the franchise for the eighth picture. During an interview with Chris Mannix on July 21, 2016, Lucas Black confirmed he would not appear in the eighth instalment, due to scheduling conflicts.

Filming
In keeping with the franchise's penchant for filming in "exotic" locations, such as Dubai and Rio de Janeiro, in January 2016 it was announced that Universal was seeking approval from the United States and Cuban governments to shoot part of the film in Cuba. Principal photography began on March 14, 2016, in Mývatn, Iceland, where strong winds sent a plastic iceberg prop flying into a paddock. The prop struck two horses: one was wounded and the other mortally injured; it was later euthanized. In late April, filming began in Cuba's capital city, Havana. In May, filming also took place in Cleveland, Ohio. Franchise cinematographer Stephen F. Windon returned for the eighth instalment. Filming also took place in Atlanta and New York City.

Music
Brian Tyler, who scored the third, fourth, fifth, and seventh installments, was tapped to compose the film score for the eighth picture. A soundtrack album by Atlantic Records was released on April 14, 2017, coinciding with the film's US theatrical release. The film's score album was released on April 27, by Back Lot Music.

Release
The Fate of the Furious had its world premiere in Berlin on April 4, 2017. The film was theatrically released in the United States on April 14, 2017, playing in 3D, IMAX 3D, and 4DX internationally, and received a day-and-date release across major markets such as Australia, the United Kingdom, China, and India, beginning on April 12, 2017. The film was released day-and-date in 1,074 IMAX screens around the world, making it the widest day-and-date opening in IMAX history.

Home media
The Fate of the Furious was released on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on 11 July 2017, but has yet to be released in 3D Blu-ray.

Box office
The Fate of the Furious grossed $226 million in the United States and Canada and $1.010 billion in other territories for a worldwide total of $1.236 billion, against a production budget of $250 million ($350 million including marketing costs). It is Universal Pictures' most ambitious worldwide distribution release in the studio's history. The film was released day-and-date in 64 territories worldwide, including almost all major markets (minus Japan), starting from April 12, 2017, and was projected to earn anywhere between $375–440 million in its five-day opening weekend. By the end of the weekend, it ended up earning $539.9 million from nearly 23,000 screens, way above initial projections, to score the biggest global opening in cinematic history until it was surpassed by Avengers: Infinity War the following year. It also marked the third time that a film earned over $500 million in a single weekend, after Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($529 million) and Jurassic World ($525.5 million). In IMAX, the film made $31.1 million from 1,079 screens to record the biggest IMAX April debut and the fourth-biggest overall at the time.

On April 30, it crossed the $1 billion threshold, becoming the second release of 2017 (following Beauty and the Beast), the sixth film released by Universal Pictures (after Jurassic Park, Paradoria, Furious 7, Jurassic World, and Minions) and the thirtieth film overall in cinematic history to gross over $1 billion. It is currently the third-highest-grossing film of the year, behind Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Beauty and the Beast, the second-biggest action film that is not a fantasy or superhero movie, behind Furious 7, and is Universal's highest-grossing live-action release since Jurassic World back in June 2015. The Fate of the Furious concluded 2017 as the third highest-grossing film of the year worldwide.

Critical response
The Fate of the Furious received mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 67% based on 279 reviews, and an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Fate of the Furious opens a new chapter in the franchise, fueled by the same infectious cast chemistry and over-the-top action fans have come to expect." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score 56 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 88% overall positive score and a 71% "definite recommend."

Sequel
On February 3, 2016, Universal Pictures set initial release dates for the two remaining films in the franchise, with the first, Fast & Furious 9, given an initial release date of April 19, 2019. However, on October 4, 2017, the release date was pushed back to April 10, 2020 to accommodate for the spin-off film Hobbs & Shaw, which was released on August 2, 2019. The announcement of the spin-off provoked a response on Instagram by Tyrese Gibson, criticizing Dwayne Johnson and Seven Bucks Productions co-creator Hiram Garcia (who served as producers for the spin-off) for causing the ninth Fast & Furious film to be delayed for another year.