The Fast and Furious franchise has taken us to all parts of the world, and the latest — Furious 8 — could see us go to Cuba. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fast & Furious 8 director F. Gary Gray recently returned from a scouting trip from the once-embargoed nation, and the studio is now moving forward with paperwork to shoot there.
"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 & Furious series in Cuba," a statement to the website said.
Cuba was previously under a U.S. embargo set in the 1960s; however, President Obama re-established ties with the nation a little over a year ago, and American travel restrictions to the island have since been eased. Still, obtaining approval to film there — especially with a production the size of Furious 8 — is no easy feat, and nothing is set in stone.
“There isn’t the infrastructure and facilities and equipment down there, so a lot of it has to be brought in," said Bob Yari, the director of Papa, the first Hollywood film to shoot on Cuban soil since the embargo was lifted. "The crews are wonderful, they’re very dedicated and passionate about what they do, but they’re not used to the pace of U.S. filmmaking.”
It's believed a number of other locations are being scouted for Furious 8 as well, including Iceland and Russia.
Furious 8 is scheduled to hit theaters on April 14, 2017.
