Fast 8 starts filming in Cleveland this month, and along with the new locale is bound to come a steady trickle of news on the upcoming eighth movie in the Fast & Furious franchise. Some of the recent news has been not so great — particularly the accidental death of a horse on set in Iceland — but other news has been more heartening, such as the news that Charlize Theron was in talks for a lead villain role, hot off her much-lauded performance as Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road.
Of course, every villain needs henchmen, and while most henchmen roles are relatively thankless and low profile, one henchman in particular in Fast 8 might catch the attention of Games of Thrones fans. That’s because it will be played by Game of Thrones’ Kristofer Hivju.
The Wrap is reporting that Hivju, who plays the Wildling Tormund Giantsbane in HBO’s tentpole fantasy series, has joined Fast 8 in the role of the as-yet-unnamed henchman. There is no word, however, on which villain he will be henching for, or whether he will be bringing his signature bushy, ginger beard along with him.
Hivju is no stranger to the big screen, having appeared in the 2011 prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 remake of The Thing. That movie, which confusingly was also titled The Thing, was declared to be “a fairly suitable (if flawed) copy” in Screen Rant’s review, and only made $27.4 million at the box office on a $38 million budget. Hivju also appeared in the better-received 2014 Swedish film Force Majeure, which won a number of critical accolades on a much more modest budget than either The Thing or the Fast and Furious movies.
Fast 8 will also be featuring the return of series regulars Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, and aspiring Green Lantern Tyrese Gibson. It will not, however, feature a repeat appearance from Paul Walker’s brother Cody. The film is being directed by Straight Outta Compton’s F. Gary Gray and in addition to shooting in Iceland and Cleveland, the production is expected to be the first major studio movie to film in Cuba following the recent lifting of the Cold War embargo on that country.
Fast 8 opens in U.S. theaters on April 17, 2017, followed by Fast and Furious 9 on April 19, 2019, and Fast and Furious 10 on April 2, 2021.
Source: The Wrap
