Universal Pictures will use CGI to replace the late Paul Walker in the Fast and Furious 7 movie. Universal may also make use of voice effects in some cases where audio for Walker’s character Brian O’Conner is unavailable. The film is due to recommence shooting in Abu Dhabi early next month and has recently started shooting again in Atlanta, Georgia. All of this no more than four months after the beloved 40-year-old actor was tragically killed in a car crash.
An unnamed production source told the News: “They have hired four actors with bodies very similar to Paul’s physique and they will be used for movement and as a base. Paul’s face and voice will be used on top using CGI.”
Universal has refused to confirm the report, according to the Hollywood Reporter. It had previously been thought director James Wan would make use of existing footage to complete the film. Screenwriter Chris Morgan was said to be working on a script change in which Walker’s character was retired during the movie, instead of being killed off as had originally been planned.
Walker died on 30 November when the Porsche he was traveling in crashed and burst into flames in Santa Clarita, southern California. The actor had been on hiatus from a shoot in Atlanta.
Fast and Furious 7, also starring series stalwarts Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Michelle Rodriguez, has been delayed from July this year to April 2015.
Our take? The folks involved on these films with Paul knew him better than anyone else and as much of a family as these guys had become over the course of the last seven films we tend to think they would know best how to honor the late actor’s memory. How do you feel about a CGI version of Paul Walker appearing in the movie?
