So here’s what happened. Last year, Helen Mirren did an interview with Yahoo! Movies where she, in no uncertain terms, professed her deep, longing desire to be in a Fast & Furious movie. Sample quotes included: “My great ambition is to be in a Fast and Furious movie”; “I so want to be a mad driver in a Fast and Furious movie”; “I’ll be in Fast and Furious 8“; and “I have to say Vin Diesel is brilliant. I love Vin Diesel. He’s a great guy, smart — I love him.” This was, and still is, perfect, because Helen Mirren has played the Queen of England like six times, but her “great ambition” is to race around in neon Hondas with Vin Diesel and Ludacris. Helen Mirren is the greatest.
And guess what: It appears this adorable and borderline shameless public display of affection worked, because — according to the world’s number one source for Helen Mirren news (Helen Mirren) — Helen Mirren is going to be in Fast 8. From a new interview with Elle:
I want to be making film and theater, but film is particularly relevant. I like it to be serious. Of course, having said that I’m about to do Fast and Furious 8. But that’s for the fun of it. So maybe that’s what I want as well, some fun and some relevant, serious, important movies.
So you are confirmed to be in ‘Fast 8’?
Yes, I am.
She added, “I’ve always rather loved driving. I said, ‘I’ll be in it, but only if I’m allowed to drive,'” which a) is not all that outlandish because Helen Mirren has torn ass all over race tracks in Top Gear (see above, re: the greatest), and b) has to be one of the best casting demands ever. This is happening.
There’s no word yet on what role Helen Mirren will be playing, but if there’s a God in heaven who loves us at all, she’ll be playing the matriarch of the British Shaw crime family. Helen Mirren as Jason Statham’s mom in a Fast & Furious movie. This must happen.
