http://411mania.com/movies/exclusive-furious-8-to-focus-on-eva-mendes-character/

A source close to the production of Furious 8 has reached out to 411 and provided some details on the upcoming film. I have not been able to confirm any of these details, so at this point they should be taken with a grain of salt, but the source’s connection to the film is solid and they fit with previously-reported rumors about the film.

According to the source, who wished to remain anonymous because they aren’t authorized to talk about the film, the upcoming entry is centered around Eva Mendes’ character of Monica Fuentes. Monica made her first appearance in 2 Fast 2 Furious, where she was a U.S. Customs agent working undercover to take down Cole Houser’s villainous drug lord Carter Verone. She returned in a post-credits scene in Fast Five, where the Rock’s Luke Hobbs revealed that Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) was still alive. Letty and Hobbs have been major parts of the last two films, though Monica has yet to return until now.

The eighth film, as previously rumored, will be set in and around New York and will center on Monica. The storyline is being hashed out, with producers casting for the role of a Hispanic teenage boy that will be a “relation to Mendes’ character” and a racer. The source says that relative newcomer Tommy Hatto, who had a tiny role in Thor: The Dark World, is being sought to play the role.

At this point Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, The Rock and Tyrese Gibson are all set to reprise their roles in the upcoming film, with Jason Statham confirming last month that he would be returning as well. Universal has set an April 14th, 2017 release date for the film.