Update: Following yesterday's announcement by Vin Diesel, Universal issued their own Fast & Furious 7 press release, confirming both Diesel's information, and that the late Paul Walker's completed scenes will be utilised. Some sources at the time of Walker's tragic death and the film's temporary shutdown had speculated that his character might be written out completely or his role re-cast, but we can now lay those rumours aside.
While there are no details of the narrative solutions employed, Universal's statement reads: ''Continuing the global exploits in the franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead the returning cast [our italics] of Fast & Furious 7, which will be released by Universal Pictures on April 10, 2015. James Wan directs this chapter of the hugely successful series, and Neal H. Moritz and Vin Diesel return as producers.''
Paul Walker sadly passed away three weeks ago. He was half-way through shooting Fast & Furious 7, and the production team decided to take time off so that the cast, crew and Walker's family could grieve. Now, although no work is being done on the film at this moment, his co-star and producer of the series, Vin Diesel, has announced that the septquel will hit cinemas in April 10, 2015, although it's still not clear when production will recommence.
That April 10 date means the burgeoning billion dollar franchise will have over a year to tweak the script and carry out reshoots before heading to cinemas. Diesel announced the news on his Facebook page, alongside a picture of the last scene the two shot together (see above).
"The last scene we filmed together… There was a unique sense of completion, of pride we shared… in the film we were now completing… the magic captured… and, in just how far we’ve come… Fast and Furious 7 will be released… April 10th 2015! P.S. He’d want you to know first…"
2015 is set to be the biggest blockbuster-filled year ever seen, with the likes of **World Of Warcraft butting heads with Star Wars: Episode VII and Bourne 5 challenging Bond 24 **for the spy crown. Then there is Avengers: Age Of Ultron, the final chapter of the Hunger Games series, Assassin's Creed and **Ant-Man **(now starring Paul Rudd). Diesel will be seen - or at least heard - in Marvel's **Guardians Of The Galaxy, which will arrive a little earlier, on August 1, 2014.