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'Fast 7' is using Paul Walker's brothers to finish filming his role

'Fast 7' is using Paul Walker's brothers to finish filming his role

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The filmmakers behind Fast & Furious 7 are turning to the brothers of the late Paul Walker to help complete the action sequel. In a Facebook post today, the production revealed that Cody and Caleb Walker have joined the film to help fill in "some remaining action" and "small gaps" that were left in the wake of the actor's death. "We came together and all felt the only choice was to continue," the statement reads. "Paul had already shot his dramatic scenes and most of his action for Fast & Furious 7, and it's among the strongest work of his career."

A similar approach was used in 'The Crow'

Walker died unexpectedly last November in a car crash, midway through the production of Fast 7. The series largely centers around his character Brian O'Conner and Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto, and after the enormous success of the last installment expectations were high for the entry, which had originally been slated to arrive in 2014. Upon Walker's death, however, the production was temporarily put on hold as the filmmakers decided how to proceed. Series mastermind Chris Morgan reworked the script to allow Walker's character to leave the franchise utilizing material that had already been shot, while other reports indicated that body doubles and some computer-generated imagery would be used to help complete any remaining scenes. Given today's announcement, it's clear that those body doubles will be Walker's own family members.

While the prospect may sound morbid, it's not unprecedented. A similar approach was used for the 1994 film The Crow when star Brandon Lee was killed during filming. In that case, the filmmakers used editing, body doubles, and computer compositing to place Lee's face in scenes that hadn't been shot before his death. What is unusual, however, is the transparency that the creators of the Fast & Furious franchise continue to demonstrate in the wake of the tragedy. "We are just under a year away from the release of Fast & Furious 7," reads the Facebook post. "We wanted to take a moment to speak to our fans directly and thank you for the love and support you always show us as we resume our work."

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