‘FAST & FURIOUS 7’ being rewritten to give Paul Walker the proper send-off.
A couple of weeks ago I lamented without irony the passing of Paul Walker. Unspoken at the time due to the sweet Bro Dude’s passing was my concern over the Fast & Furious franchise’s future. Also without irony the series of movies are some of my favorite, serving as a healthy conduit for my homoerotic tendencies, desire to drive fast, and stare at Vin Diesel’s ears. It appears that the seventh film is struggling with the same difficulties, though screenwriter Chris Morgan is attempting to find the proper way to sally forth.
The death of actor Paul Walker has cast doubt upon the future of the Fast & Furiousfranchise, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, work on rewriting the next installation is already underway. Sources familiar with the matter tell THR that screenwriter Chris Morgan has begun revising the script for Fast & Furious 7 to allow for Walker’s character to exit the series using footage that has already been shot. The hope is that with a reworked script, cast and crew will be able to resume filming by late January, though that’s far from guaranteed.
After a fiery car crash claimed Walker’s life in late November, it was reported that Universal Studios would proceed with production of Fast & Furious 7 as planned, though the studio later reversed course and put the film on indefinite hold. The movie, directed by James Wan, had been scheduled to hit theaters in July 2014, but sources tell THRthat this timetable has now been scrapped.
Universal has reportedly invested about $150 million in the film, and about half of Walker’s scenes have already been shot. Executives are looking at ways to salvage that footage, and the studio says there is widespread fan support for continuing the franchise, though Morgan and Universal’s creative team realize that it must be handled delicately.
“What will drive everything is, is there an honorable and sensible way to do this?” a source told THR, before admitting that “there’s not really a road map” for the dilemma the studio now faces.