Paul Walker’s untimely death will be talked about for some time to come, especially considering Fast & Furious 6‘s release on Blu-ray and DVD next week (with some proceeds going to Walker’s charity, Reach Out Worldwide). On Sunday, it was rumored that Fast & Furious 7 director James Wan met with Universal execs to discuss what to do with the film in light of the star’s death. The Wrap has reported that the studio was insured for situations like this, so Universal has multiple options they can explore in regards to the future of the franchise.
Universal just released an official statement on the production of Fast & Furious 7:
Right now, all of us at Universal are dedicated to providing support to Paul’s immediate family and our extended Fast & Furious family of cast, crew and filmmakers. At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on Fast & Furious 7 for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise. We are committed to keeping Fast & Furious fans informed, and we will provide further information to them when we have it. Until then, we know they join us in mourning the passing of our dear friend Paul Walker.
One option was to simply scrap the film and start from scratch. There are still conflicting reports over how much of Walker’s scenes were shot, but there’s an idea to simply start clean with a new script without Walker. However, the studio understands that Walker is a central part to the franchise, and a film without him appearing in any way wouldn’t be viable. Another option involved editing his likeness on another actor’s face via CG, but that seems hokey and very unlikely, especially now that production has been officially halted.
It’s great to see that Universal and the film’s filmmakers are reacting with their hearts instead of their wallets. For such a cherished franchise as Fast & Furious, this is the best move for everybody involved from the actors to the fans.
[via The Wrap, via The Playlist]