Fast and Furious 8 to Feature Main Female Villain - Report

With the release of Fast and Furious 8 set for April 2017, production is expected to begin soon. It has been reported that director F. Gary Gray is looking to cast a central female villain in the movie, with Charlize Theron the frontrunner for the role.

According to Deadline, the script is still being worked on, but Gray and writer Chris Morgan are planning to make the film's main villain a woman. The site's sources state that Mad Max: Fury Road star Theron is their first choice to play the character. Gray previously directed Theron in the 2003 remake of The Italian Job.

Last week it was confirmed that there would be at least three more films in the blockbuster action franchise, with parts 8 and 9 due in 2019 and 2021.

Star and producer Vin Diesel's plan for more movies was revealed last year, when he stated: "I promised the studio I would deliver one last trilogy to end the saga." The actor has also hinted that additional spinoff movies could be made, focusing on some of the individual characters from the action series.

Fast and Furious 8 will be released on April 14, 2017.