In April of last year Helen Mirren made the unexpected statement that she wanted to star in the eighth Fast and Furious movie, and even do her own driving.

At the time Furious 7 hadn’t even been released yet and it wasn’t clear if there would even be a Fast and Furious 8, but Dame Helen Mirren hath spoken and the universe listens. Not only was Fast 8 (or whatever the hell they’re calling the next one—what sane human being can keep track at this point) confirmed to be on the way, but now Mirren has actually joined the cast.

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.

When it comes to big blockbuster franchises, if you are not a part of a shared universe, then you aren’t doing it right. Marvel Studios is doing it with the MCU, and WB is doing it for their DC Comics in the DCCU. Some studios have attempted and failed to make their own, while others are playing catch up. But for the Fast and Furious franchise, now seems like the perfect time to jump on the shared universe bandwagon, and cash-in on the biggest Hollywood trend.

Franchise star Vin Diesel shared the latest development in a recent interview while talking about Furious 8 and the future of the franchise. More on the story below.

It was only yesterday that a reported shortlist had Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray as a frontrunner to helm Furious 8. The Incredible Hulk‘s Louis Leterrier, You’re Next‘s Adam Wingard, and The Signal‘s William Eubank were also among the top candidates for the job.

Vin Diesel consults with Universal on their decision but ultimately, he is not the one who gets to hire or fire. Despite that, he and producer Neal Mortiz have been in talks with the four choices, and it seems that they have settled on Gray. More on the story below.

Rumors of Vin Diesel possibly directing Fast and Furious 8 started to emerge when reports surfaced of the film experiencing production problems before lensing. The actor was quick to distance himself from the job saying he wasn’t interested in getting involved in studio politics. But he did confirm that he talked to Universal, and promised that there will be one final Fast and Furious trilogy. He added that he and producing partner Neal Moritz weren’t simply going to sign off on any director for a franchise as special as Fast and Furious, and that no one has seen a script.

Well, a lot has changed since that time. Now, a couple of reports have pegged Straight Outta Compton helmer F. Gary Gray, The Incredible Hulk‘s Louis Leterrier, and You’re Next‘s Adam Wingard as in line to direct Fast and Furious 8. More on the story below.

Last week, a report came out detailing the troubles that are plaguing Fast and Furious 8. There is currently no director attached to the project, which makes it less likely that the sequel will start filming for its April 2017 release. There were also reports of franchise star Vin Diesel being difficult to work with while on-set, with some claiming that he “questioned even small details on elaborate action sequences,” which would result in a halt during a complex production.

Now, Diesel has taken it upon himself to clarify some of these rumors. Posting a message on his official Facebook page, the actor has expressed his gratitude towards Universal for working with him throughout the entire franchise, and has confirmed that he “would deliver one last Trilogy to end the saga.” More on the story here below.

Universal’s Fast and Furious film franchise has evolved throughout the years, starting out as a film centering on the culture of underground street racing to heists to revenge actioner. It has also become a part of Universal Studio’s iconic Studio Tour. But in an effort to get Fast and Furious 8 into production, Universal Pictures has experienced a snag. With the early passing of its franchise star Paul Walker and no director confirmed, the film is looking less and less likely to meet the April 2017 release that Vin Diesel announced earlier this year. But finding a director isn’t the only problem, sources close to the production say that behind-the-scenes from Furious 7 seems to be another contributing factor.

More on this story below.

James Wan’s Furious 7 is one of the fastest films to gross a billion dollars at the box office. Of course with each new Fast and Furious raising the box office bar, sequels are quickly green lit. The tragic loss of Paul Walker though would make things a bit difficult for the franchise to continue, but fans have spoken out, and they want more.

Universal will be honoring that request. Vin Diesel was at CinemaCon today to officially announce that Fast and Furious 8 will be released April 14, 2017. Hit the jump for more.

Last year, WB announced their massive DC film slate. This was a very early look at what the studio would be releasing, as no directors were attached to any of the films. So far Michelle MacLaren has been confirmed to write and direct Wonder Woman. Chris Miller and Phil Lord have just been confirmed to write The Flash, with talks of making an offer to direct as well. But as to who will be directing Green Lantern and Shazam, that is unknown. Now we may have an idea as to who will be directing Aquaman.

Unconfirmed reports are suggesting that WB is eying James Wan as a possibility to direct Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa (check out a first look at the actor in costume here). Hit the jump for more.

Normally a first weekend’s box office numbers judge whether or not the film is a success and if it deserves a sequel. Some films don’t get the latter despite being a success, but for the ones that do get sequels, they can expand to a franchise. The Fast and Furious franchise has been doing that for seven installments already. Even though this past weekend’s Furious 7 grossed $392 million worldwide, Universal has yet to confirm if there will be a Fast and Furious 8.

This may have to do with just taking a break from everything that has happened with the production of the film and finding a story. Hit the jump for more details.