When actor Paul Walker tragically died this past weekend, it put the production of James Wan's Fast and Furious 7 in a difficult place. The movie is currently only halfway through production, and Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, plays a crucial role in the plot. Surely the filmmakers and folks over at Universal Pictures have been meeting over the last few days to figure out exactly how to move forward, and while many options are being weighed, according to sources at The Wrap one possibility is that the production will scrap everything that has been done so far and start from scratch.
Considering the film has a budget somewhere in the $200 million area one would think that starting over would be a ridiculously expensive idea to execute, but that actually isn't the case. Studios are insured for cases like this and if the restart button were to be hit Universal "would likely be made whole" on the film's budget. Regarding when a decision will be made about the film's future, The Wrap's sources say multiple different things. One "insider" told the site that a final verdict is only days away, while another told them that "the studio, producers and directors wanted to get the movie right and not rush a decision."
At this point it's unclear exactly how the finished Fast & Furious 7 will deal with the O'Conner character, even if the production does end up starting from scratch. There are some that say that it won't "conform to the original cast just for the sake of preserving Walker’s scenes," while others suggest that it's unlikely the finished product won't somehow involve the actor.
One option that has apparently been ruled out is the idea of using visual effects to put Walker's face on another actor's body. This may sound like a riduclous idea, but just remember what David Fincher was able to do to create the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network:
Obviously the film will have to deal with Walker's loss in some way or another, but how would you like to see them do it? Do you think the character should be cut out completely? Do you think they should use the footage they have to create a conclusion for the character, even if it doesn't properly fit into the larger story? Answer our poll below and tell us what you're thinking in the comments section.
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