Charlize Theron joins 'Fast 8'

Charlize Theron has officially joined the cast "Fast 8," the next installment in Universal's long-running "Fast and Furious" franchise, sources confirm to Variety.

Details behind the role are vague, but she's expected to be playing some sort of villain. The studio went to the star early for the role, but because the script was still being written, Theron did not want to commit to anything until a finished draft was completed.

Even after a script was finished by Chris Morgan and Theron was happy with the end result, she still had to weigh her options as the actress was also attached to star in the Sony spy thriller "The Grey Man," which is considered a huge franchise opportunity for Theron and Sony. Insiders say since the "Grey Man" script was originally intended for a man, Sony had the script rewritten; because of delays in delivering a brand new script, Theron's schedule opened up, eventually leading to talks with the two parties.

See photos of Charlize Theron through the years:

The latest installment begins production this summer with a planned April 14, 2017 release. Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson and Michelle Rodriguez will reprise their roles with F. Gary Gray taking over the directing reigns. Neil Moritz and Diesel will produce.

Theron, who is repped by WME, can be seen next in "The Huntsman: Winter's War" as well as "Brain on Fire" opposite Chloe Moretz.