Behind The Scenes of Furious 7
Fans of “The Fast and the Furious” franchise have been anxiously awaiting the release of Furious 7 pretty much since the day they saw Furious 6. The highly-anticipated release picks up right where the last one left off and is sure to bring plenty of exhilarating scenes that will surely have viewers hanging onto their seats.
Production for Furious 7 started immediately – even cutting into the post-production editing of Furious 6. This accelerated schedule went against the franchise’s usual two to three year schedule and caused director Justin Lin to step down because he felt it would affect the final product. Interviews with Lin show that Furious 6 may have been his final installment all along, opening up the door for well-established director James Wan. Wan, who has made his mark in the horror film industry is best known for his directorial roles in Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring.
Casting involved a lot of the familiar faces we’re used to with many of the franchise regulars making an expected return. Even some lesser-known but familiar faces from installments of the past will make appearances, including Lucas Black and Elsa Pataky. Action stars Jason Statham and Kurt Russell will join the star-studded cast. True to the franchise’s form, Furious 7 brings actors from other facets of Hollywood, including singer Iggy Azelea and mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey.
The actors aren’t the only stars in this franchise. As to be expected, the film will showcase a slew of impressive vehicles of all kinds. The usual suspects, like Dom’s 1970 Dodge Charger, will make their appearances and are expected to experience some upgrades of their own. The trailers have shown everything from standard American muscle cars and foreign import sports cars to heavily-modified utility vehicles.
As with the last installments, Furious 7 will take us to some interesting locations. Principal photography and casting calls began in Atlanta, Georgia. Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges, who plays Tej Parker and proudly announces his Atlanta heritage, was sure to be excited for the announcement. Pikes Peak Highway in Colorado was temporarily shut down while the Furious 7 crew filmed scenes within the area. The most exciting of the locations, undoubtedly is Abu Dhabi. The sprawling desert landscape and impressive metropolitan structures surely will result in some fantastic scenes. Scenes will naturally take place in the crew’s hometown of Los Angeles and you can expect to see scenes in Tokyo as well.
The plot of this year’s release is all about family. The main antagonist, played by Jason Statham, is seeking revenge over the death of his brother. Additionally, it’s no secret that Dom and his crew are a bunch of friends turned family who would do anything to protect each other. The crew of Furious 7, who have filmed together since the original release in 2001, takes the idea of a family further than most. The cast of the franchise is notoriously close and consider themselves to be a big family unit.
It’s no surprise that the untimely death of Paul Walker had a major impact on the cast and crew. During a holiday break in 2013, Walker died in a single vehicle accident that sent production into a standstill while his loved ones mourned the loss. It wasn’t until April 2014, almost five months later, that production was reinstated. Everyone wanted Furious 7 to be released in Walker’s memory and necessary measures were taken to allow the film to continue.
After the loss of Walker, writers strategically rewrote the storyline to allow the franchise to continue if the forces at will allow it. Whether Universal continues with the series is still up in the air and will largely be determined by the success of Furious 7. If anticipation for this film is any indication, fans have nothing to worry about.
