F&F 7 is the sequel to the 2013 film Fast & Furious 6 and the seventh installment in the Fast & Furious film series. The film was written by Chris Morgan and directed by James Wan. It starsVin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Lucas Black and Jason Statham. Furious 7 is the first film of the series to take place after Tokyo Drift.
The film will mark the final film appearance of Paul Walker, who died on November 30, 2013 with filming only half-completed. After Walker's death, filming was delayed for script re-writes, and his brothers Caleb and Cody Walker being used as stand-ins to complete his remaining scenes. Furious 7 is set for release on April 3, 2015. It is set to be released in 3D internationally.
Principal photography began in the beginning of September 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia, with a casting call issued. Abu Dhabi has also been confirmed as a filming location, as the production crew chose it over Dubai and will benefit from the Emirate's 30% rebate scheme. Pikes Peak Highway in Colorado was closed in September to film some driving sequences.
On November 30, 2013, while on a break for the Thanksgiving holiday, Walker, the actor who portrayed Brian O'Conner, died in a single-vehicle accident. The next day, Universal announced that production would continue after a delay that would allow the film makers to rework the film. On December 4, 2013, Universal Pictures put production on hold indefinitely. Wan later confirmed that the film had not been cancelled. On December 22, 2013, Diesel posted on his Facebook page that the film would be released on April 10, 2015. On February 27, 2014, The Hollywood Reporter reported that filming would resume on April 1, and that the cast and crew had headed to Atlanta to prepare for about eight more weeks of shooting. Principal photography ended on July 10, 2014.
The film, which began principal photography in September 2013, was originally designed as a summer 2014 release. It was put on hold following the fatal car crash that claimed Paul Walker's life on November 30, 2013. The production resumed in April 2014.
In October 2014, Universal revealed that the film was officially titled Furious 7, and that the debut trailer would be released during an interactive fan event over social media. In the days leading up to the event, seven-second, behind-the-scenes videos were released, titled "7 Seconds of 7".
On February 1, 2015, a new trailer featuring all-new footage debuted during Super Bowl XLIX.
The film was originally scheduled for release on April 10, 2015, but it was announced that the film's release date had been moved backward a week to April 3, 2015. The official announcement in change of date was made in July 2014. Fast and Furious 7 premiered at the SXSW Film Festival at 12:07 a.m. at Austin's Paramount Theatre on March 16, 2015.