Following the tragic and sudden death of actor Paul Walker over the weekend, Universal Pictures having struggled to decide their next move for the seventh feature in their record-breaking action franchise. Cast and crew on the film had been taking a break for the Thanksgiving festivities and had been expected to return this week before the shocking news of Walker’s car accident. Well, certainly in the short-term, it appears they have reached a decision as the following short statement confirms production has been halted on the film being directed by James Wan.
“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.”
The tragedy was always going to delay the film’s release, which currently slated for the 11th July 2014. They will now look at all options in going forward and whether starting from scratch is an option and/or how to honour the actor and his fans. Speaking of honouring Walker, Universal have also released the following tribute video, highlighting the 40 year-old’s career.
Source: Universal Pictures
