The Fast and Furious franchise was cool enough to begin with thanks to its relatable characters, attractive cast, breakneck speeds, and ridiculous stunts (oh, and I guess the cars are nice, too), but the fact that Furious 8 is currently filming in Cuba ups the cool factor significantly. It's the first studio film to shoot on the island since the U.S. placed an embargo on the nation in the ‘60s. That's pretty cool.

Director F. Gary Gray knows they've got something special in Cuba and wants to welcome the extended Fast and Furious family to the island nation in style. With that in mind, the movie's Twitter account has released a fun little video greeting to celebrate the start of production.

Get your welcome to Cuba here!

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/FastFurious/status/725476118367604736[/EMBED_TWITTER]

Other than the fact that it's filming in Cuba, here's what we know about Furious 8 so far. It's scheduled for release on April 14, 2017. Jason Statham, who portrayed Owen Shaw’s vengeful brother, confirmed he’ll be back for the sequel, and he'll have the fabulous and furious Charlize Theron by his side as the film franchise's "greatest adversary."

Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges will return, however, following the tragic death of Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster said she wasn’t sure whether or not she’d be back. Eva Mendes, Kurt Russell, Kristofer Hivju, and Scott Eastwood have also joined the picture. Lucas Black may also return as Sean Boswell, but his role in the new film remains the subject of conversation since he’s been rumored to be joining the team in a way similar to the late Paul Walker’s character.

For more on Furious 8, take a look at some of our recent coverage:

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