Fast & Furious 8: Helen Mirren's Role A Cameo, The Rock In Jail

Bad news for anyone expecting a big role for Helen Mirren in the next Fast And Furious movie: she's only in for a short period and she's not even going to be driving.

Mirren expressed a desire to be in one of the franchise movies for a long time, but it seems her getting her desire comes with something of a caveat - there won't be much of it (at least not this time).

In an interview published by Entertainment Weekly, the Dame confirmed that she won't be behind the wheel:

"I wanted to be driving, but unfortunately, I’m not… Maybe that will come in the future, in Fast and Furious 12… I’m probably one of the few people on the set who know how to drive a gear shift car. I doubt the Rock knows."

So that's her wish to drive in one of the movies out the window then. And while rumours that she's playing the matriarch of the Shaw family probably aren't too far off base, the role clearly won't impact the film in a substantial sort of way at all, given how short a time she's on set:

"I’ve only got one day, and I’ll probably f— it up, oh God"

You'd have to take that as confirmation that she's only shooting a cameo. That might spill over into an expanded role next time out (since there are two more films at least coming), but for now that's all you'll get.

Meanwhile, The Rock also shared another picture of Agent Hobbs on his Instagram, showing that the character is in jail for at least some of the movie.

That gives credence to the idea that he's been dishonourably discharged from his job and is now going to be recruited by Kurt Russell's fixer to join the rag-tag crew that's probably going to include Jason Statham's Shaw too. I can get on board with that.