Reports suggest that Universal will pick from one of these three names.
[dropcap size=small]T[/dropcap]he list of potential Furious 8 directors has been whittled down to just three names. F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton) stands as the favourite, but Louis Leterrier (The Transporter) and Gary Wingard (The Guest) are hot on his tail.
Gray is currently in Universal’s good books, having delivered the studio a surprise hit with Straight Outta Compton. Gray also has a relationship with Vin Diesel, having directed him on the set of A Man Apart. In a final case for Gray, his experience on films such as The Italian Job and The Negotiator means that he should have no problem coping with some of the over-the-top stuntwork a Furious film requires these days.
Leterrier also has plenty of experience working on action films, but with titles like The Incredible Hulk and Clash of the Titans on his CV, the results haven’t been quite as consistent. Still, The Transporter series is still going strong, and Leterrier, maybe more than the others, knows what it takes to work on action blockbuster franchises.
Wingard is known mostly for his horror films, but his take on 2014’s The Guest shows that he can step into thriller territory; perhaps Furious 8 is the opportunity he needs to step into the action genre and show the world what he can do.
Furious 8 is due out April 14th, 2017.
