The Fast & Furious crew will be the first ones to tell you that they don’t add "friends" to the ensemble year after year. They add family. So it’s encouraging to read this spectacular and heartfelt note penned by Scott Eastwood upon learning that he’d been cast in the soon-to—begin-filming Fast & Furious 8. You see, Eastwood has roots with Paul Walker, so joining the series is a LOT more than cashing the next paycheck. Read his message below:
This heartfelt message was posted on Scott Eastwood’s Instagram page, confirming the fact that the Suicide Squad actor had been added to Fast & Furious 8, and also elaborating a bit on who Eastwood would be playing in the movie. Let’s start there. In Furious 7, the legendary Kurt Russell joined the ever-expanding F&F family in the role of Mr. Nobody, a covert operative who eventually needed Dom (Vin Diesel) and his team to pull off a complicated job. It was believed that Mr. Nobody would continue to use Dom and his crew in the next few chapters of the Fast saga, possibly leading to the shift of venue cities to New York (as has been reported). Now we know that Scott Eastwood will be working for Russell’s team… which might put him at odds with Dom, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Hobbs (The Rock) and the crew.
More than that, though, Eastwood starts talking about his relationship with Paul Walker, and that’s when Fast fans are going to need the tissues. He calls him his "brother," and recounts the experiences they had together. These two apparently ran in the same packs, and Eastwood sees it as an honor, and an opportunity, to continue Walker’s legacy in a Fast film. "I am going to make you proud," he tells his late friend. We can’t wait to see it happen!
Fast & Furious 8 wasn’t always a lock. When Paul Walker died during the filming of Furious 7, the team did everything that they could just to finish that chapter. In fact, director James Wan recently said that his team deserved Oscar consideration for the visual effects that they needed to rely on to complete Paul Walker’s performance – and he’s not exaggerating.
However, now that we know Fast & Furious 8 is happening, the pieces are being put into place to build on the success of Furious 7 and take the series through at least one more story… and possibly more. Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray was hired to helm Fast 8. Charlize Theron was tapped to play the new villain. And Scott Eastwood is a new hire to the "family." What do you think of his message? Is he a good fit for this series? Let us know your thoughts below.
