It's never easy when an actor dies during the production of a film. Not only is it hard on friends, families, cast and crew, but it creates a delicate question about what should be done to finish the film without them. Do you cut out his character? Do you recast him? Do you shoot body doubles? There's no right or wrong answer, really, but for fans of Paul Walker and the Fast and Furious franchise, it seems like Universal has found a very appropriate approach.
According to a note it released to fans on its Facebook page, Walker's brothers have joined the film to help smooth over any missing elements that Paul hadn't filmed before his shocking death last November. And if you are indeed a fan of the series, you'll know how fitting it is that they're keeping it in the family. Here's the full explanation:
A Note to the Fans of FAST & FURIOUS
The FAST & FURIOUS saga is about family. The characters are connected by the bond of family, and it is how all of us who have worked together for more than thirteen years feel about each other. It certainly defines how we feel about our fans.
Our family experienced an unthinkable shock in November. We had to take time to grieve Paul, the brother we love and lost, and to figure out if we should move on with our film.
We came together and all felt the only choice was to continue. We believe our fans want that, and we believe Paul would want that too. Paul had already shot his dramatic scenes and most of his action for FAST & FURIOUS 7, and it’s among the strongest work of his career.
We have resumed shooting and now welcome Paul’s brothers, Caleb and Cody, into our FAST family. Caleb and Cody are helping us complete some remaining action for their brother and fill in small gaps left in production. Having them on set has made us all feel that Paul is with us too.
We are just under a year away from the release of FAST & FURIOUS 7, and this film is the most important we’ve ever done together. It will allow the character of Brian O’Conner to live on and let us celebrate Paul in his most defining role.
We wanted to take a moment to speak to our fans directly and thank you for the love and support you always show us as we resume our work.
In case you missed the beautiful tribute to Walker during this year's MTV Movie Awards, you can watch it below.
Get More: 2014 MTV Movie Awards, Latest Movie News
Fast & Furious 7 hits theaters on April 10, 2015.
