Soviet Army Occupies Akranes (Though Not Really) - The Reykjavik Grapevine

Published April 16, 2016

If you see Red Army trucks, tanks and helicopters in the sleepy Icelandic town, do not be alarmed.

RÚV reports that the filming of Fast 8 – the eighth movie in the Fast & Furious franchise – have moved from Mývatn in north Iceland to Akranes in the west.

Numerous Grapevine readers have contacted us with troubling reports of tanks and other military vehicles in the town, with some speculating it had something to do with American forces in Iceland conducting air patrols.

Readers can rest assured these military craft are all a part of the filming of Fast 8, which will presumably either take place during the Cold War or in some alternate universe where the Soviet Union won, given the insignia on the military craft.

Akranes mayor Regína Ásvaldsdóttir told reporters that filming has been a boon to the town, as numerous members of cast and crew have been pouring into shops for provisions. How long the filming will last is still unknown.