Paul Walker To Be Replaced By Body Doubles and CGI
The death of Paul Walker is one that saddened fans all over the world. The Fast and Furious franchise has a huge following, and the loss of this great actor left many devastated. As depressed as fans were though, many couldn't help but wonder what will happen for the next Fast and Furious installment, Fast and Furious 7.
The film already pushed its release date in December to April 10, 2015 after the death of Walker. After setting this new release date, Universal suggested that Paul Walker will still appear in the upcoming film, regardless of his untimely fate. “They have hired four actors with bodies very similar to Paul’s physique and they will be used for movement and as a base,” said a source to the New York Daily News. "Paul's face and voice will be on top using CGI." Walker is known for playing cop Brian O'Conner in all of the Fast and Furious installments except for Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift. Because he is the star in the upcoming film alongside costar Vin Diesel, this may be a task that is difficult to pull off.
James Wan is to direct this next chapter in the widely successful series, and Vin Diesel and Neal H. Moritz are returning to produce it as well. The filming was delayed after 40-year-old Walker died in a car crash on November 30 in Valencia, California, just outside of Los Angeles. The cast and crew was about halfway done with production of the next film in the series when the tragedy struck, with Walker's performance unfinished. Vin Diesel is now determined to make this the best one in the series, and I could only hope that they're all brought to even more success after his loss.
[via Variety]
Three New Guardians of the Galaxy Stills
Guardians of the Galaxy is my most-anticipated Hollywood film of the year. Not only does it have an amazingly talented cast (from Parks and Recreation's Chris Pratt to American Hustle's Bradley Cooper to even Fast and Furious' Vin Diesel), it also represents a new tentpole for Marvel Studios, let alone a large expansion into the under-utilized cosmic realm of the company's spectrum.
Tonight, the first official trailer for the film will debut tonight exclusively on Jimmy Kimmel Live! However, a small handful of new film stills have been released ahead of the footage debut. The images, which you can see below, showcase the Guardians' ship, a close-up of Pratt's Star Lord, and a group shot featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy themselves (Zoe Saldana's Gamora, Cooper's Rocket Raccoon, Pratt's Star Lord, Diesel's Groot, and Dave Bautista's Drax the Destroyer).
You can definitely expect to see the first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy tomorrow. For now, enjoy these new images!
Vin Diesel in talks to voice Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy
It's been a few weeks since movement has been made public about the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy film following its reveal at this year's San Diego Comic Con. However, as I mentioned back then, there were still two roles left unfilled/unannounced: Groot and Rocket Raccoon. It seems as if at least one of those roles has been filled as Deadline is reporting that Mr. Fast and/or Furious himself, Vin Diesel, is in talks to voice the tree-like alien.
Last month, Diesel met with Marvel about potentially joining the large stable of actors associated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which includes, amongst others: Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Benicio del Toro, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Don Cheadle). While it would have been better for Diesel to portray a live-action character instead of voicing one, his involvement with the film, as well as Marvel Studios, overall, definitely adds an extra sense of star power to the world they're creating.
For those unaware, Groot is a somewhat indestructible, tree-like alien that, while sustaining damage, can continue living so long as a splinter from his body is saved and nurtured. His character, besides his immense size and strength, is best known for only uttering three words: "I am Groot." Just imagine a large tree alien uttering that phrase over and over with Vin Diesel's patented gravelly voice, and you'll realize just how perfect this casting may be.
[via Deadline]