When actor Paul Walker died on Nov. 30, his “Fast & Furious 7” character was up in limbo. There was mass speculation about how the directors and writers were going to handle the issue. Would he be killed off? Would another actor take his place? Would he be written completely out of the latest installment? Really, the first question was on the minds of many “Fast & Furious fans.
A new report sheds light on what will happen to Brian O’Conner. Rather than killing Bryan O’Conner, the character is simply going to be retired. Director James Wan, Universal Lead Executive Jeffrey Kirschenbaum and writer Chris Morgan have gone through the footage already shot. The three have come up with a plan that means doing some re-writing to the script and allowing Walker to stay in the story.
Killing Brian O’Conner in a car accident would have hit too close to home for everybody, as it was how Walker died. Most folks did not want to relive this experience in the movie. On top of that, many Fast movie characters have died in this fashion already.
The plan to rewrite the script is the studio’s way of trying to make franchise fans happy and still use the footage Walker had shot before he died. Walker died halfway through the shooting of the latest movie installment.
Originally set to be released in 2014, the eighth-month delay in release gives the trio plenty of time to develop the new script and ensures additional scenes are shot. This move could let the “Fast & Furious” franchise to move on without the actor.
“Fast & Furious 7” is now set to be released April 10, 2015.
