Earlier this year it was being reported that Charlize Theron was being courted to play the villain in Fast 8. Details on who the character is weren’t exactly clear as the role was being kept a secret.

Now it is being confirmed that the Mad Max: Fury Road actress will indeed be joining Vin Diesel‘s major car franchise as the film’s antagonist. More on the story below.

Variety says there are still no details on Theron’s character and that the actresses wouldn’t accept the role until “a finished draft was completed.”

However, before she accepted the villain role in Fast 8, she was also offered another role in the Sony spy thriller The Grey Man. That film was considered a huge franchise opportunity for Theron and Sony, with its script originally intended for a man. However, there was an initial delay in production while Sony had the script rewritten to fit Theron. This created an opening in the actress’s schedule.

In addition to Theron’s confirmation, Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju will also be joining the film as a villain. This according to The Wrap. According to the report, he will be playing a tough henchman, perhaps working under Theron’s leadership. It remains to be seen if they have a connection to the Shaw brothers (played by Luke Owens and Jason Statham in the previous two films). Rumors of Helen Mirren wanting to join the latest installment as a “mad driver” seem to have fallen by the wayside.

While we don’t know much about the film itself, we do know that it will take place on the streets of New York. And the film marks the second time that the franchise will move on without the late Paul Walker.

Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, and Michelle Rodriguez will also star, with each of them reprising their respective roles. F. Gary Gray will direct using a script written by Chris Morgan. Neil Moritz and Diesel will produce.

Fast 8 starts filming this summer for an April 14, 2017 release.

[Source: Variety | The Wrap]