Fearing for the safety of the cast and crew, Universal Studios executives reportedly shut down a vehicular stunt that was supposed to be part of James Wan’s upcoming Fast and Furious 7, claiming that it was too risky for a production that already has indirectly been marred by the death of a founding contributor, Paul Walker.
Sources connected to the production told TMZ that a critical scene, which was supposed to be filmed on Thursday, was cancelled by "suits from Universal" who feared that the scene in question was too dangerous. According to the report, the scene was supposed to involve "a souped-up yellow Chevelle" that would race another car and "dramatically pop a wheelie, as bystanders stand right by the track and cheer." Could that be the scene that Vin Diesel hinted at in his most recent Facebook post? Because in that message, he thanks the good people at Universal for allowing them to return to the scene of a significant sequence in The Fast and the Furious to bring the franchise "home," so to speak.
As TMZ also notes, that visual also would be a significant nod to a scene in the original Fast and Furious movie, the one that started it all.
'Fast & Furious 7' Race Scene Cut -- We Can't Tolerate Another Death - Watch More Celebrity Videos or Subscribe
Alas, it’s not to be. TMZ does report that James Wan and the producers of Fast and Furious 7 followed the safety book, hiring "drivers who are ‘authentic street racers’ for the scene," and Vin Diesel was allegedly on the scene – a no-brainer, for sure, as he has been the driving force of the franchise ever since they lost Paul Walker. But the site says that producers thought a second car crash – even though Walker didn’t die on the set of the movie – could "jeopardize the entire franchise."
Hard to argue. In fact, I’m really curious what the future of the Fast and Furious franchise is, at this moment. Plans have been in place for a new trilogy, with actors like Lucas Black signing on for Fast parts 8 and 9. Will they happen? Universal seems to think so, and if they really shut this scene down as reported, they look to be taking all of the right steps to ensure that The Fast and the Furious remains on the safest roads possible, on every front.
