'Fast & Furious 8' Plot Will Be About A Character's Point Of View: Franchise Producer Neal H. Mortiz

“Fast & Furious 8” will be based on a character’s perspective, according to a source close to the action. In his recent discussion with Screen Rant, the popular franchise's producer Neal H. Mortiz spoke about the approach the creative team is taking for the new film. He also spoke about late actor Paul Walker’s character and how the franchise will move forward without him.

“We’re trying to do what we always do, which is try to come at it from a character point of view and figure out where the characters would go from here. I think the thing that’s made The Fast and the Furious special is obviously we have incredible action and so on. But the thing that people really relate to the most is the characters,” he said.

He added that it is unfortunate that Walker is no longer alive but his character (Brian O’Connor) has “moved on” and there are a whole lot of other characters who need to be explored. Reportedly, the new “Fast & Furious” chapter will show the gang members' life after the events of “Furious 7” and will be set in New York.

Vin Diesel, who set to reprise his role as Dominic Toretto, hinted about the Big Apple location in his previous interview. “I always think of these films' multiple pictures in advance. Kurt Russell came in for this movie, but we really hired him for a story that follows this that takes place in New York,” he said during his appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

Other recurring actors include Dwayne Johnson as Hobbs and Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw. The latter appeared in “Furious 7” as the main villain and was locked away in a high-security prison by Hobbs. It has yet to be revealed how his character will factor in the sequel. The director and other cast members are not finalized. “Fast & Furious 8” opens April 14, 2017.

“Furious 7” was a major box-office success. It made more than $1.5 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film in the franchise. It opened April 3, 2015, in 3D, IMAX 3D and 4DX.