"Straight Outta Compton" director F. Gary Gray has confirmed he'll helm the eighth film in Universal Pictures' blockbuster "Fast and the Furious" franchise.

"Cant ask for better partners than Vin, Neal & Universal," Gray tweeted this morning. "Excited to bring u the next chapter of the #FastFamily saga."

The announcement isn't exactly a surprise, as Gray raced Monday from the top of the reported shortlist of contenders to exclusive negotiations with Universal and star/executive producer Vin Diesel, all within a matter of hours.

Gray, whose "Straight Outta Compton" delivered a hit for Universal, has among his credits a string of action thrillers, most notably “The Negotiator,” “The Italian Job” and “Law Abiding Citizen.” He also previously worked with Diesel on the 2003 action film “A Man Apart,” and with Dwayne Johnson on 2005 crime comedy “Be Cool.”

The eighth film in the franchise, which could be called "Fast 8," as suggested by Diesel, or "FF8," as indicated by the image below, arrives in 2017.