( CNN ) It would be easy to laugh off Vin Diesel 's prediction that his film `` Furious 7 '' will win an Oscar next year , but not for the reason you might think . After all , the actor was serious when he recently told Variety `` It will probably win best picture at the Oscars , unless the Oscars do n't want to be relevant ever . '' But rather than ignore it because it 's a glossy , blockbuster action film , some might argue that the movie goes against type for Academy Award nominated films because the cast is so diverse . `` Furious 7 '' hits theaters Friday , months after controversy was stirred about the lack of diversity at the Oscars . There were no actors of color nominated and no women in the directing category , which was dominated by white males . Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu went on to win best director for `` Birdman . '' The lack of diversity was so glaring ( even with the mostly black cast of the movie `` Selma , '' which received a nomination for best picture ) that it spurred the Twitter hashtag `` # OscarsSoWhite . '' In contrast , `` Furious 7 '' could n't be more racially and ethnically inclusive . The cast includes Dwayne `` The Rock '' Johnson -- a Samoan/black man -- black actors Christopher `` Ludacris '' Bridges and Tyrese Gibson , Hispanic performer Michelle Rodriguez , Thai martial artist Tony Jaa , Beninese expatriate Djimon Hounsou and the late Paul Walker , a blue-eyed , blond-haired California native . The filmmakers even went so far as to make sure casting directors in Abu Dhabi and Dubai , where key scenes were filmed , found diverse extras . `` We were mainly looking for the diverse look of the ( United Arab Emirates ) , '' Miranda Davidson , owner of the casting company , told The National . `` They really wanted to make sure we reflected the international feel of the country . '' Almost since the beginning , the `` Fast and Furious '' films have had a diverse focus and appeal . The band of street racers , which encompassed white , black , Asian , Hispanic , male and female and bond as a family , has done well at the box office with each iteration . In 2011 , then Boston Globe film critic Wesley Morris wrote , `` Go on and laugh your Benetton , Kumbaya , Kashi , quinoa laugh , but it 's true : The most progressive force in Hollywood today is the 'Fast and Furious ' movies . '' `` They 're loud , ludicrous , and visually incoherent , '' he said . `` They 're also the last bunch of movies you 'd expect to see in the same sentence as 'incredibly important . ' But they are -- if only because they feature race as a fact of life as opposed to a social problem or an occasion for self-congratulation . ( And this does n't even account for the gay tension between the male leads , and the occasional crypto-lesbian make-out . ) '' According to the Motion Picture Association of America 's 2014 Theatrical Market Statistics Report , while Hispanics make up 17 % of the U.S. population they account for 25 % of frequent moviegoers . Likewise , women make up 52 % of moviegoers . Entertainment Weekly points out that the film franchise is doing a much better job of reflecting its audience than others in Hollywood . `` Despite the films ' cumulative worldwide gross of almost $ 2.4 billion , their racial inclusiveness remains an outlier ; American movies are still overwhelmingly white , '' EW 's Chris Lee writes . `` According to UCLA 's 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report , a mere 16.7 % of 2013 films starred minorities in lead roles . '' At least one moviegoer tweeted that he appreciated the effort . Diesel told EW the franchise has come a long way from the original 2001 film , which featured segregated gangs of racers pitted against each other . `` It does n't matter what nationality you are , '' the star said . `` As a member of the audience , you realize you can be a member of that 'family . ' That 's the beautiful thing about how the franchise has evolved . ''
The film 's cast is diverse . EW points out that Hollywood still needs to catch up . 2014 of the stars says the franchise has evolved .