In what is perhaps the most surprising, yet thrilling news of the week, Dame Helen Mirren has revealed that she has nabbed a role in the next instalment of the Fast and Furious franchise.
Speaking of her acting preferences in a recent interview with Elle, the 70 year old Oscar-winner said: “I want to be making film and theatre, but film is particularly relevant. I like it to be serious. Of course, having said that I’m about to do Fast and Furious 8. But that’s for the fun of it. So maybe that’s what I want as well, some fun and some relevant, serious, important movies.”
When asked if she was definitely on board for the upcoming action sequel, Mirren responded with certainty (“Yes, I am.”), before elaborating on her decision to join the project: “I’ve always rather loved driving. I said, ‘I’ll be in it, but only if I’m allowed to drive if I do drive in it.’ But we’ll see. We’ll see how it transpires.”
Interestingly, Mirren has been not-so-subtly hinting her interest in the franchise since March last year, citing her love for driving as the main motivation, alongside her admiration for star Vin Diesel; ” I love Vin Diesel. He’s a great guy, smart – I love him. It’s partly because of him I’d like to be in one, but also the driving.”
Directed by F. Gary Gray and starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Scott Eastwood and Charlize Theron, Fast 8 is set to be released in the UK on 14th April 2017. Watch the trailer for the last film below.
