Vin Diesel has never been shy about his Oscar aspirations, even if he’s pinning it on the unlikeliest franchise to gain Academy Award favor in any major categories: “Fast & Furious.” While the actor does recognize that the awards season has a “stigma towards action films,” he also at one time predicted a Best Picture win for “Furious 7.” Obviously, that didn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean Diesel isn’t keeping hope alive for “Fast 8.”
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Diesel asserted that the upcoming sequel would act as a corrective for director F. Gary Gray getting snubbed at the Oscars last year for “Straight Outta Compton.”
“As bizarre as that might be, he is definitely going to [be recognized],” the actor. “As crazy as that might sound, he should have really been acknowledged for Straight Outta Compton. I think he went into making this movie with a little bit of a chip [on his shoulder], going ‘Oh, really? Now I’m going to take the biggest saga in the world, and I’m about to throw Oscars at you.’ Wait until you see what he does!”
Well, Diesel is clearly pumped, but given how his prognostications have played out in the past, I would probably advise him to put that tuxedo rental on hold for now. “Fast 8” opens on April 14, 2017.