After the shocking and tragic death of Paul Walker on 30th November, less than two weeks ago, Universal halted production on their upcoming seventh installment of the FAST & FURIOUS franchise. Walker was mid-way through filming on the latest in the incredibly lucrative series and was meant to continue his scenes days after the horrific accident took place.
Universal have already committed to donating a percentage of the profits made from the FAST & FURIOUS 6 DVD sales to Walkers charity, and are now searching for a respectful way to continue the next film which was only half way through principal photography. Chris Morgan (FAST & FURIOUS 3-7) is now revising the script in order to find a way to salvage the footage of Walker that has already been shot and retire his character from the franchise in a respectful manner that would allow the series to live on. If Morgan is successful in finding a creatively satisfying way to continue FAST & FURIOUS 7, then filming will recommence in late January.
Now here’s where things get a bit messy, if Universal ultimately decides that the film can not be salvaged then they will be looking to restart production on the sequel from scratch and make the ‘largest insurance claim in Hollywood history’. If this is the case, then the insurance company Fireman’s Fund will be liable to re-pay the $150 Million that Universal had already spent on the film. Here is what the report states:
‘Studio chairman Donna Langley — in her first major leadership test since being promoted in September — and production co-president Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, the lead exec on the Fast movies, were designated to run point on finding a creative solution for the franchise. According to a knowledgeable source, the studio already has poured about $150 million into the film, a bill that its insurance firm, Fireman’s Fund, might have to pay in full if Universal concludes the picture must be started anew. Fireman’s Fund declined comment, as did Universal.
The wreck of the Porsche Carrera GT creates a uniquely nightmarish scenario for Universal. In addition to losing the star of its most important live-action franchise — a series about fast cars — in a devastating crash, the accident occurred when the film was well underway but nowhere near completion. “Almost exactly half of his role was done,” says one source. Another says Walker was scheduled for considerable work on the film the week following his death’.
There is also the complicated issue of the rest of the cast consisting of Tyrese Gibson, Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel among others, that may be contractually obligated to other projects and might not be available to wait until production on FAST & FURIOUS 7 restarts next year. Either way, it looks like Universal will have an uphill struggle ahead of them to get the seventh FAST & FURIOUS film to the big screen, but they can likely expect an increased interest in the project after the publicity following Walker’s death. The question is whether or not the project should continue in its current form and potentially capitalize on a horrible and tragic event, or start the film from the beginning with a new direction that doesn’t disrespect the actors memory.
Check out THN’s Paul Walker tribute here as well as a review of his latest film HOURS.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
