14 DAY TRIAL // It’s a wrap on “Fast & Furious 7”! Reshoots are over and the entire team came together at a wrap party to celebrate a job well done and to dedicate it to the late actor Paul Walker, who was killed in a car crash in November. Paul’s brothers Cody and Caleb were also in attendance.
Paul’s death occurred over Thanksgiving break, when he still had several major scenes to shoot for the seventh installment in the popular franchise.
Because he was the leading man, the studio contemplated the idea of pulling the plug on the franchise altogether, because, at the time, they could see no way out of the predicament: with two thirds of the movie completed and no way to redo it to give it a different ending, they didn’t want to upset Paul’s family and fans either.
Eventually, the solution came from Paul’s family, as his brothers Cody and Caleb were asked to stand in for him for major scenes he had not yet shot. As you can see from the picture above, the decision was backed up by the fact that they bear a striking resemblance to their late brother.
The photo was snapped at the aforementioned wrap party and posted to Instagram by Tyrese, who is also seen in it with Cody and Caleb. He uses this opportunity to remind fans that, besides a hugely successful film franchise, “Fast & Furious” is a family.
“#Fast7 Wrap Party... Emotional and bittersweet... In the end you always got #Family @codyWalker Caleb Walker and Director Great... James Wan... Through prayers and determination and moving forward inspired by my heart Paul Walker we got through... The BEST CAST AND CREW IN THE WORLD... The fans and supporters around the world... We LOVE YOU...,” Tyrese writes.
“I wanna dedicate this moment to my niece Meadow Walker... Uncle Ty loves you... April 3rd the were gonna unleash this magic on the world... I miss you heart... I miss you P-Dub!!!!” he continues.
Meadow Walker is Paul’s teenage daughter.
So Tyrese might not be the most eloquent male celebrity out there, but he’s sending his point across: the seventh film is dedicated to Paul Walker, the member of the family they would never forget.
The same message was also posted on the film’s official Facebook page a couple of days ago, when they announced that production had wrapped, inviting fans to the theater on April 3, 2015 to see the fruits of their labor.
“Our family is big and strong but it won’t ever quite be whole again without Paul. All of us – those who’ve been here from the start and those whose first FAST film is 7 – wanted to create a special film for him and for you. We believe we have,” the open letter said.