After months of speculation, studio Universal has confirmed that the brothers of the late Paul Walker will stand in for the star to help complete "Fast & Furious," which was in the midst of production at the time of Walker's death in November.In a statement addressed to fans of the franchise, Universal said that Caleb and Cody Walker would be "helping [filmmakers] complete some remaining action for their brother and fill in small gaps left in production." As for what those gaps might entail, the statement didn't specify, though TheWrap reports that Caleb and Cody will "fill in for Walker during select scenes and ... computer graphics would be used to mask any discrepancies between their bodies and his. The brothers will not be replacing Walker throughout the movie."
Walker was killed in a single-car crash in Los Angeles on November 30 during a break in production on "Fast 7." His death shut down the film for a time as those involved scrambled to figure out how -- or if -- to proceed with the project without one of its biggest stars.
The full statement from Universal is below. "Fast and Furious 7," starring Walker, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, and Tyrese Gibson and directed by James Wan, is set for release on April 10, 2015.
[via Coming Soon]A Note to the Fans of FAST & FURIOUS
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.
Our family experienced an unthinkable shock in November. We had to take time to grieve Paul, the brother we love and lost, and to figure out if we should move on with our film.
We came together and all felt the only choice was to continue. We believe our fans want that, and we believe Paul would want that too. 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.
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.
We are just under a year away from the release of FAST & FURIOUS 7, and this film is the most important we've ever done together. It will allow the character of Brian O'Conner to live on and let us celebrate Paul in his most defining role.
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.