The ending of “Fast & Furious 7” saw Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, and Brian O’Conner, played by Cody Walker and some CGI on behalf of the late actor Paul Walker, driving down the side of the mountain to the tune of the song “One Last Ride” of Charlie Puth.
There is no better way to send Paul Walker off than that sentimental ending in “Fast & Furious 7” that had both the cast and the production team, as well as the fans who have watched the movie, quite teary-eyed.
So when rumors started going around that Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner character will be back in “Fast & Furious 8,” it did generate excitement among fans of the franchise. But those who know better believe that the speculations do not have a good leg to stand on.
According to the latest reports, the producers of “Fast & Furious 8,” which is due to hit theaters on April 14, 2017, are purportedly contemplating of bringing back Brian O’Conner on the big screen through numerous flashback scenes.
And in order to do that, the producers will reportedly resort again through CGI and computer imagery and possibly another stand-in by Paul’s brother, Cody, cites Movie News Guide.
Apparently, while the producers admit that they did give Paul a hearty send off towards the end of “Fast & Furious 7,” they reportedly realized that the franchise will not be complete without Brian O’Conner on it, and that is why they decided to bring the character back even through flashbacks.
Paul’s vision for the franchise
The rumors actually started when Jordana Brewster, the actress who plays Mia Toretto O’Conner, the wife of Brian, was reportedly confirmed to appear in “Fast & Furious 8.” If Mia would reappear, it is almost sure that Brian would appear as well.
Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Lety Ortiz, says that “Fast & Furious 8” will be a tribute to Paul Walker because he originally wanted to bring the franchise back down to the core, which is racing.
She recalled that Paul was always complaining about the special effects and the blue screens in the past films because he really wanted to put an end to the exaggerated explosions and crazy plotlines.
Michelle said that they will be taking back “Fast & Furious 8” to the streets of New York City as a way of paying homage to Paul’s vision, but she did not say that Brian O’Conner would be back in it, notes the Parent Herald.
However, these reports are mere speculations at this time and until the producers or the cast members start opening their mouths and say something to either confirm or deny these rumors, then everything should be taken with great caution.
Another casting rumor
Another interesting casting rumor that has made it to the internet as of late is the possible inclusion of Elijah Wood of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy to “Fast & Furious 8.”
Accordingly, Elijah would play the role of being the illegitimate son of Dominic Toretto. As a Toretto, it is expected that Elijah’s character would have the same level of energy in driving because it is in his bloodline.
There have been a lot of names that have been floated as possible new cast members ever since the “Fast & Furious 8” was confirmed just months after the box-office success of “Fast & Furious 7,” which is now officially the fifth highest grossing movie of all time.
Because of the box-office achievement of “Fast & Furious 7,” it is now the biggest movie franchise of Universal Pictures to date and the company only wants the best for its goldmine.
Some of the names that have since been brought forth include Eva Mendes, Helen Mirren, Ruby Rose, Angelina Jolie, and Cara Delevingne.
It seems that the first three actresses appear to have a clear shot in joining the franchise as new cast members for “Fast & Furious 8” while Angelina Jolie and Cara Delevingne appear to be fan wishful thinking at this point.