14 DAY TRIAL // In an official statement posted on the franchise's Facebook page, it's been announced that the production team has enlisted the help of Caleb and Cody, Paul Walker's two younger brothers, to help complete the filming on the 7th installment and probably the last one that is going to feature the character Brian O'Conner.
As you might know already, Paul Walker tragically died in a car crash last November during a Thanksgiving break from filming “Fast & Furious 7.” The 40-year-old died instantly in the fiery crash and left behind a teenage daughter, Meadow, as well as a grieving family.
The two remaining brothers are going to stand in for Paul because of their resemblance to the late actor. Caleb, the youngest of the lot, is in his mid-twenties and has done some work as a stunt man so he's no stranger to cameras and movie sets. Cody is said to be in his late thirties. With them on board, the producers should have the role of Brian O'Conner covered.
Universal Studios motivates their choice by pointing out in the statement that “The FAST & FURIOUS saga is about family. The characters are connected by the bond of family, and it is how all of us who have worked together for more than thirteen years feel about each other. It certainly defines how we feel about our fans.”
It's been revealed that Paul had already done a significant part of the shooting and only a couple of scenes that involved him were left so the producers are going to use CGI to add his face to the bodies of his brothers.
“We have resumed shooting and now welcome Paul's brothers, Caleb and Cody, into our FAST family. Caleb and Cody are helping us complete some remaining action for their brother and fill in small gaps left in production. Having them on set has made us all feel that Paul is with us too,” the statement continues, hinting that the team still feels the loss.
The decision to feature Paul's brothers will apparently “allow the character of Brian O'Conner to live on and let us celebrate Paul in his most defining role.” This comes to prove that the studio will not be killing his character in the movies as initially suggested, but will rather retire it in a tasteful manner.
Fans agree that this is the best way to send of Paul Walker from the movies and to preserve his legacy and contribution to the racing franchise. The movie was supposed to be released later this year, but since production was halted for several months after Walker's death and has only recently resumed, it's not going to come out on April 10, 2015.