The Fate of the Furious

We Sit Down With the Toretto Family to Talk About The Fate of the Furious

April 6, 2017
Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron, Tyrese Gibson, F. Gary Gray, Ludacris and Kurt Russell clue us in on the latest addition to the world-beating franchise at The Fate of the Furious press conference at Las Vegas CinemaCon.

Taking place at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas from March 27-30 this year, CinemaCon sees theatrical exhibitors from around the world gather to talk the cinema business. It’s a premiere event, packed with seminars, conferences, advance screenings and special guests – such as the cast and director of the sure-to-be-huge Fate of the Furious. We were there, and now, by proxy, you are too.

Just when I think this franchise can’t keep going and can’t go bigger it just gets bigger and better and bolder. How do you do it?

Vin Diesel: Well, we’ve been so fortunate to have had this saga continue for so long. With that great fortune comes the challenge: how do you continue? How do you reinvent yourself? How do you defy expectations? So one of the things that we’re so proud about with this chapter is how much we defied expectations.

It’s such a special saga to be a part of, and not just because the cast is so amazing and the team that makes the movie is so amazing, but because Universal has been so supportive. When you look at executives at Universal, there’s a pride that they have, that they can take ownership of this saga, which is the biggest saga in history.

But you deliver the big bucks. That helps! I mean, we talked about a billion and a half [dollars] right? It continues because it works.

VD: Well, that’s a good point. On that note, it’s not only us that deliver the big bucks, it’s all of you in the audience. I’m at premieres and I speak on stages a lot, but whenever I’m here and I’m speaking to all of you, I do feel like I’m speaking to a greater family, and partners in creating this saga of our millennium.

Every exhibitor out there that takes that extra pride, that’s excited about seeing the movie, you own the theatres. Every time I come over here and every time I stand onstage, I can sense your anticipation and your excitement for this movie, and that makes us want to go to work. That gives us a certain pride in our work.

I remember being here two years ago and talking about Furious 7, and for the first time telling you that there was going to be an F8, The Fate of the Furious. I was standing right here, and I said ‘The Fast and the Furious 8 will be the best movie you have ever seen.’ So hold me to that.

There won’t just be an 8. There will be a 9 and a 10, right?

VD: Right, and as the world sees this movie, they’ll see how this is the beginning of the next trilogy. I mean, obviously there are characters that were brought in in Furious 7, like Kurt Russell, specifically for this new trilogy. So yeah.

During Furious 7 you lost your best friend, Paul Walker, who was also heart and soul of this film franchise. That had to be a hard one to make. What was it that made you decide, ‘We need to keep doing this’?

VD: Yeah, it’s a hard one. It was a hard decision to make. But part of Paul’s legacy lives through every frame that we shoot. Every time you see Brian O’Conner on film, every time you see any of the cast, you are reminded of this angel that was so integral to this concept of brotherhood. There’s something beautiful and celebratory about that.

The irony is it was Paul Walker who promised eight films, and I just played over and over in my brain him saying, ‘Eight is guaranteed.’ I always feel like he’s looking down on us, so we never want to let him down.

What is it like to work with the rest of the cast on this film, Vin?

Vin Diesel: Sometimes I think my whole career was leading up to working with this incredibly brilliant talent. I can’t tell you how much magic and electricity there was in every scene that we did together. In fact, storms and lightning and thunder followed us everywhere, even when we were in Cuba. When we were doing a scene together, it changed weather. I don’t know what it was.

The responsibility of making the franchise crazier, bigger, bolder and better falls on your shoulders, F. Gary Gray. How do you do it?

F. Gary Gray: Well, the key was the team, just be collaborative. They have been doing this franchise for over 15 years. So I had to rely heavily on our writers, our producers, the studio, and Vin, of course, who is the heart of the franchise, and the amazing talent that’s standing next to me. I was so happy to do it, but it was a challenge. It’s like, how do you top 1-7? It was so different to shooting Straight Outta Compton. I went from Compton, California, to Reykjavik, Iceland. Lowriders to drowning Lamborghinis. Working with newcomers to working with the biggest action heroes and Oscar winners in the world. So I had to step it up, and I’m glad – I’m honoured to be a part of the Fast family. Thank you guys.

VD: Always.

Director F. Gary Gray and Vin Diesel on set.

Tyrese Gibson: You know, one of the reoccurring questions that we get, since we’ve been in the family for a while, is ‘Are people uncomfortable with joining the cast after you guys have been doing it for a while?’ What’s really crazy is you can never imagine how far we go to make them feel a part of the family. I mean, it’s like, as long as you’re willing to listen, we’re willing to talk and share and give you insight about any and everything so that you can have all the tools possible to come in and contribute to what we’re so honoured to keep afloat. So thank you, thank you all for doing this.

Charlize, you joined this very established family, although you’re not really a member of this family… You play the evilest villain. There’s no fighting with you in this one, but you have your way of controlling.

Charlize Theron: Yeah.

VD: That’s true.

CT: I’m very manipulative

VD: But so layered, her performance is just – to look at her performance and just think “evil” is selling it short in some ways. Her performance is so layered, and it’s so brilliant and so complex.

Did she scare you? I mean, she scared me. She’s bad!

VD: She intrigued me, she lured me. She was…

CT: Come on, be honest, I scared the shit out of you Vin!

VD: She scared the shit out of me! Yeah!

FGG: She scared the shit out of me!

Charlize Theron and Vin Diesel

Tyrese and Luda, you guys get funnier, the jokes get better, the lines… you guys play a huge part in this franchise. You guys started in number 2, is that right?

Ludacris: Yeah we started at 2.

TG: Yeah, when Luda started he had full sideburns and an afro. I didn’t have any facial hair at all – mine just came in like three years ago. I was actually as bright as Luda when we started, and I’ve been tanning for months. It’s all coming together nicely for me.

L: We’ve known each other for so long, obviously, and it’s the chemistry that we have off-screen as a family that makes it work. But in terms of me and Tyrese, what makes it so incredible and magical onscreen is that we always have to be the link between the chain of so much action and so much serious stuff and balance it out with what we do, and we’re just proud to continue. This is the gift that keeps on giving for the both of us – we just love bringing that comedic element to this entire franchise.

FGG: Crucial counterbalance.

And Kurt Russell – You’re a huge presence in this franchise now, and we only see that going even further. Now you’ve also got a young rookie, Scott Eastwood, who’s joining you on the force.

Kurt Russell: I just have no idea whether these guys are going to kill me off or not, so I do my best. What’s very obvious is that everybody really knows who they are, and the audience really knows who they are. So I guess the opportunity here to come in and try to create a character that would work to help further the story, help further the action, help further the franchise, was what my challenge was.

Kurt Russell

L: We’re very proud, when we think about how long we’ve been at this thing, and how long you guys have gone out of your way to support this franchise. Not to buzzkill, but the last time I was on this stage, we were here with Paul Walker, and we move and operate directly inspired by our brother.

We’re just proud that this is the franchise that every man, woman and child can show up and support as a family. Sometime the ladies will be like, ‘Ahh, that’s not really for me.’ The fellas will be like, ‘Ahh, that’s a chick flick, not for me.’ But this is one of the movies that everybody can support around the world, and we’re just honoured.

We operate under more pressure than y’all could imagine to try and come up with more cool shit to keep this all alive, so it just means a lot to us to be here and to continue to have the franchise stay afloat. F. Gary, you’re a bonafide genius. And you’re one of the most patient and talented dudes I’ve ever met on human feet. Because there was so many personalities, and he went out of his way to create an individual experience with all of us, as you will see in the franchise. More importantly, following the success of 7, it’s like, ‘How do I take it up a notch?’ Hopefully you will see that this man did it.

FGG: Thank you. Appreciate it.

The Fate of the Furious is in cinemas from April 12, 2017

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