Universal announced on Wednesday that production on "Fast and Furious 7" would be shut down indefinitely following the death of actor Paul Walker.
“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," a representative for Universal said in a statement. "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."
Filming on "Fast 7" was set to start up on Monday, following a short break for the Thanksgiving holiday. Those plans changed when Walker was killed in a car accident on Saturday in Los Angeles. He played Brian O'Conner in the lucrative franchise, and appeared in five of the six "Fast and Furious" films. How his death will be handled in "Fast 7" is unclear, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, the film's planned July 11, 2014 release date will likely shift. Per TheWrap, there is even speculation that the current incarnation of "Fast 7" could scrapped entirely. In that scenario, Walker's character would be completely written out of the film and director James Wan would start again from scratch. (TheWrap, however, in making that claim, noted that an individual close to production "said that option was not under consideration.")
For more on "Fast 7," head to THR.
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