Even those who have only been vaguely keeping abreast of Fast & Furious 7’s development know that the project has traveled through troubled waters. Originally set to come out this past summer, the production had to deal with tragedy and loss that resulted in delayed schedules and massive script changes. So when director James Wan says that the movie has been the most difficult he’s ever worked on, it’s pretty easy to see where he’s coming from.
Wan gave 7 this label while recently speaking with Collider in promotion of Saw’s upcoming 10th anniversary. The subject came up when the filmmaker was asked about moving from small-budget horror movies to high-budget blockbusters, and Wan explained that there isn’t much of a difference due to the fact that there always exists the same kinds of issues and limitations. Said Wan,
"It doesn’t matter how big or small your film is, you still don’t have enough money. You don’t have enough time to shoot it. When you’re making a bigger movie you have much bigger set pieces that require more time and more effort and more people. But Fast 7 is definitely the hardest movie I’ve had to do in my career."
Enforcing his point, the director added that he isn’t the only one from Fast & Furious 7 who feels this way. Neal Moritz, who has been a producer on every movie in the franchise dating back to the first one in 2001, apparently shares Wan’s feelings about the difficulty of the production. "[He] has been doing this for a long time and is a very successful, seasoned producer and he said that to me too," Wan added.
Of course, time and money weren’t the only roadblocks that were put in Fast & Furious 7’s way during production. While Wan doesn’t mention it in the interview, in November of last year, actor Paul Walker tragically died in a car accident, leaving the film without one of its main stars. Production was halted as Wan, screenwriter Chris Morgan, and the executives at Universal Pictures figured out a way to move forward. Filming was finished this past summer, with Walker’s brothers helping with scenes featuring the character Brian O'Conner.
Working to overcome all of these challenges means that Wan’s has had to put a special amount of effort into Fast & Furious 7, and he now has very positive feelings about the entire experience. Said the director,
" It’s that hardest film I’ve ever had to make but it’s also the one I’m proudest of. I’m really proud of this film."
Fast & Furious 7 is currently in post-production and will be in theaters on April 3, 2015.
