I Dropped my Popcorn...: Paul Walker Dies

Showing posts with label Paul Walker Dies. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Fast and Furious might start from scratch

In addition to the grief around Paul Walker's unexpected death, there is a problem due to the fact that he was in the middle of filming a movie. Previously it was announced that Fast and Furious 7 had been put on an indefinite hold, but there is now some talk that the film may be scrapped and started from scratch with a new script that excludes Walker's character.

Fast and Furious 7 was already halfway finished filming, but most of the key scenes involving Paul Walker were not completed yet. The big concern by Universal and director James Wan is how to move forward without tarnishing Paul Walker's memory and disrespecting the fans. In addition to the production indefinitely stopping, another option being explored is to restart and basically cut out Walker's character altogether. Personally, I find that the most disrespectful option.
The other option is to do rewrites and try and work around the scenes that were not filmed yet. There is a big possibility of body doubles, like what they did when Brandon Lee died during filming of The Crow, so fans can kind of feel like they are saying goodbye to Walker while seeing him on-screen one more time. One minor detail with this thought is the potential for CGI to be introduced and have Walker's face digitally placed onto a double.

The bottom line is there is no getting around that Walker starred in a franchise about street racing and died in a fiery car crash. It is very sad, don't get me wrong, but it is just a fact. I think the best thing they could do would be to just move forward. It isn't disrespectful to, for lack of a better way, kill off Walker's character. If they still want to make the July 11th release date they are going to have to make some decisions fast.

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.
Read more at http://collider.com/fast-furious-7-decisions-paul-walker/#8c7leVfTeSXGbsP8.99

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Fast and Furious 7 delayed indefinitely

This isn't a surprise.

Due to the sudden death of Paul Walker which occurred yesterday, production of Fast and Furious 7 has been delayed indefinitely. Shooting was set to resume tomorrow in Atlanta, but Universal and the production crew have canceled the shoot and have not set a resume date at this time. The production wants to allow enough time for the cast and crew to grieve the loss of Walker as well as allowing time to complete inevitable re-writes to the script. Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, was a main character so obviously his role will need to be put in a different direction. The only Fast and Furious film Walker did not appear in was The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

However, director James Wan and Universal have not determined if the July 11, 2014 release date will need to be changed. Wan stated that more than half of the actual filming has already been completed and they were set to go to Abu Dhabi after filming in Atlanta wrapped. I personally won't be surprised if this movie is delayed by a couple months.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Paul Walker dead at 40

Paul Walker, most known for his role in the Fast and Furious franchise, as reportedly died in a car accident at the age of 40. He leaves a 15-year old daughter behind.
Walker was in Santa Clarita, CA when his Porche GT spun out of control and crashed into a tree. TMZ is reporting the vehicle caught fire and burst into flames. They also included that Walker was in the vehicle with an unidentified passenger and it is unclear on which person was driving at the time. Walker's rep confirmed he had been at a car show and was taking individuals on test drives of the vehicle to raise money and awareness for the recent typhoon that hit the Philippines. Walker was leaving said charity event at the time of the crash.

This is a surprise and rather sad. It's always unfortunate to see someone pass at a young age like 40. In case you never saw a Fast and Furious movie, Walker had also starred in Pleasantville, She's All That, Varsity Blues, and The Skulls. Walker was currently filming Fast and Furious 7 where he was reprising his role as Brian O'Conner, so I would expect some sort of delay on that one due to this. Universal has not yet commented regarding the status of Fast and Furious 7 or the tragedy.

[Update] Universal released the following statement:

"All of us at Universal are heartbroken. Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to everyone involved with the Fast and Furious films, and to countless fans. We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to Paul's family."

It was also released via Walker's official Facebook that he was a passenger in the vehicle and was attending an event for his charity, Reach Out Worldwide, when the vehicle lost control and struck a light post. Police included that high speed was a factor in the crash.

“All of us at Universal are heartbroken. Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to everyone involved with the FAST AND FURIOUS films, and to countless fans. We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to Paul’s family.”
Read more at http://collider.com/paul-walker-dead/#OjCFwXejzeZEA7AG.99

I Dropped my Popcorn...

The past seven days