Don Omar badly wants back in on the “Fast and Furious” franchise.
The Puerto Rican reggaeton singer appeared in 2009’s “Fast and Furious” and 2011’s “Fast Five,” playing Dominic Toretto crew member Rico Santos. He also contributed songs to three of the soundtracks in the series, including the massive hit “Danza Kuduro,” which can be found on the “Fast Five” soundtrack.
There was no Rico Santos in 2013’s “Fast and Furious 6” or this year’s “Furious 7,” other then a brief mention and a flashback scene. Omar said he was asked to appear in “Furious 7” but declined. That’s right, Omar said he turned down an opportunity to be a part of the fifth highest grossing film at the worldwide box office of all time.
“I had to release my album by a certain date,” said Omar (real name: William Omar Landron) during an appearance Thursday at Macy’s on State Street, part of the department store’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. “If I had gone back, filming takes six months. I wasn’t able to do it. I was recording and was super busy. It kind of messed me up. I was so pumped to be part of it again.
“I got involved in the franchise because of a great friend of mine: Vin (Diesel). He’s one of my best friends. He’s the guy who always advises me. I spoke to Vin like three weeks ago. He’s got like three movies (lined up). If they start again, I’m going to be there for sure — for sure. I’ll be there.”
(Diesel revealed during CinemaCon in April that “Furious 8” is tentatively scheduled to hit theaters April 14, 2017.)
Omar released his fifth studio album, “The Last Don II,” in June and hopes to release a deluxe version in December with songs that didn’t make the cut, including his duet with Jennifer Lopez. He is scheduled to kick off his co-headlining tour with rival Daddy Yankee in December in Puerto Rico. And then there is the other Hollywood sequel that he’s been eyeing.
More Top Picks Best Filing Cabinets On Wheels
“‘Resident Evil’ sent me a script,” said Omar, referring to “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.” “They’re filming in South Africa and want me to be there for like 75 days. They’re still working on the script and the (logistics). I’ve got a lot of concerts (scheduled), but I’d love to be a part of it.”
Twitter @TribLuis
Facebook @TribLuis
Instagram @TribLuis