In 2001, Rob Cohen directed a little film for Universal Pictures called The Fast and the Furious; 14 years later, it's looking like franchise superstar Vin Diesel may be rallying support for Cohen to return to the director's chair. Essentially, Diesel, who is also a producer on the remaining films, is reminding fans that it was Cohen who brought the Fast and Furious family together, uniting Diesel with co-stars Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, and the late Paul Walker.
Diesel recently took to his social media accounts to address his legions of fans about the reported difficulties behind the scenes of Furious 8. He clarified that no directors had seen scripts for the film yet and that no offers had been extended. He also promised to reveal the new lineup of directors in his next post, but that has turned out to be not entirely accurate. On the surface it sounds like the search for a director is still ongoing, but a couple of recent social media posts strongly suggest that Diesel is feeling nostalgic for old times on the set with Cohen. Is it possible he could be the next director?
Here are a couple of Diesel's recent Facebook posts; click through on the second one for a comment from co-star Tyrese Gibson:
All weekend long, my producing partner Neal, the Studio and myself have been mapping out the future of our SAGA... All... Posted by Vin Diesel on Sunday, September 27, 2015
Posted by Vin Diesel on Tuesday, September 29, 2015
And here's a related post from his Instagram account:
The man that introduced me to my producing partner Neal and who cast Jordana as my eternal sister... The one who allowed for such a powerful and blessed love with Michelle... And like a father, had created the brotherhood that would define a millennium. Rob Cohen... I hear you Pablo... #HappyTorettoTuesday A photo posted by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel) on
Sure, it could just be Diesel feeling nostalgic during this whole process and reaching back through time to share that feeling with his fans. Then again, Universal not only reached out to James Wan and implored him to stick with the franchise, they also spoke with previous director Justin Lin to lure him back to the director's chair. There's no word yet on whether or not they've talked to John Singleton (2 Fast 2 Furious), but Cohen certainly seems like a possibility. Even though his track record lately - Alex Cross, The Boy Next Door - has not been great critically, he's currently attached to helm the Road House remake. I have a feeling he'd shuffle his schedule around for a shot at Furious 8.
Let us know your thoughts on whether Cohen has a chance at returning to the director's chair for Furious 8, and if you want to see him there!
