"I wanted to use as much of real Paul as I could."
The seventh installment to The Fast and The Furious franchise grossed a record $147.2 million on it’s opening weekend in the U.S. alone. It also grossed another $240 million overseas and is looking to be the first billion-dollar picture in the franchise.
The blockbuster, which was supposed to come out last year, was delayed following the tragic death of Paul Walker in November 2013.
Once production resumed, Walker’s brothers helped fill in for him in certain scenes and old footage of Paul was used to keep him on screen.
Read: Vin Diesel Names His Daughter After Paul Walker
Now, director James Wan spoke to SlashFilm about how he came to the decisions to help bring Paul Walker back to life for the film.
Wan said, “I think it’s very important that people go into this movie not fixated on trying to work out which is Paul, which isn’t Paul. I want them to just watch the movie and enjoy the film and be caught up in the emotion of it all. I think that’s exactly, we worked so hard so that they don’t have to do that.” He continued, “I wanted to use as much of real Paul as I could. And if that meant stealing a look from the previous movies or whatever, that was the way to do it. I think it’s just from a sentimental point of view, I think it wanted to be that.”
While Furious 7 was planned to be the final Fast and Furious film, it is now rumored an eighth installment may happen. One Oscar winner has now come out to say she would love to be a part of it if it does happen.
In an interview with Yahoo Movies, Helen Mirren gushed at the idea of playing a villain in a possible eighth film.
She said, “My great ambition is to be in a Fast and Furious movie. I so want to be a mad driver in a Fast and Furious movie. My claim to fame is I always do my own driving — I was on Top Gear, and I did [my lap] in a very good time. I keep putting it out there, and they never ask me. I’ll be in Fast and Furious 8. I have to say Vin Diesel is brilliant. I love Vin Diesel. He’s a great guy, smart — I love him. It’s partly because of him I’d like to be in one, but also the driving. I’d also love to do another Red-type movie, because those are such fun to do.”
