Helen Mirren guests on Conan O'Brien's show. (Photo : YouTube / picturefan2009)
Helen Mirren is joining the "Fast and Furious" franchise with "Fast 8." However, her role is not yet revealed and that draws several speculations. The franchise already has Vin Diesel, Kristofer Hivju, Michelle Rodriguez, Scott Eastwood, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kurt Russell, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Lucas Black and Ludacris, while F. Gary Gray directs.
Mirren's casting follows that of Charlize Theron, who will play villain in the upcoming installment. "Fast 8" is the 70-year-old actress' first major role in an action project since "Red" and "Red 2" where she acted opposite Bruce Willis as wetwork agent Victoria Winslow, The Guardian reported.
The "Fast and Furious" franchise which started in 2001 is a tremendous success on the big screen with its theme of fast cars, explosive action sequences, stunts and exotic locations. Its seventh instalment was the most successful, raking in $1.5 billion worldwide though it was marred by the death of actor Paul Walker who died in a car crash in Nov. 2014. The eighth installment is set to release on April 14, 2017.
Mirren confirmed to Elle she will appear in the star-studded project "for the fun of it." When asked if she is a fan of cars, the Oscar-winning actress said she always loved cars. She shared she would be in the franchise only if she is allowed to drive.
"...if I do drive in it.' But we'll see. We'll see how it transpires," she told the fashion and beauty online site. She added, "I like very serious films, I love foreign films, and I love big, fun movies-as long as they're well made and they've got good scripts."
In which role should the English actress land, and in which part her character can squeeze in, is still unclear. However, Mirren is known to be a versatile actress who is always willing to entirely commit to even the oddest projects.
The veteran's actress acting background is not just about art-house royals and flicks or Shakespeare. She played Alice Rage, a policewoman in "The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Manchu," a 1980 action comedy that starred Peter Sellers as Fu Manchu. In the "Prime Suspect" series, Mirren starred as the iconic cop Jane Tennison.
Mirren's role as Winslow had a way with both car and machine guns. Such expertise should come handy in her new project.
Watch the following official trailer of the 2017 film that will have Mirren.
