As the cast and crew of Fast & Furious 7 ready to continue production after the delay caused by Paul Walkers death in November, details have emerged on how the filmmakers plan to continue Walkers character with the use of computer generated imagery.
According to the New York Daily News, director James Wan will be using body doubles, CGI, and Walker’s voice in order to keep his character of Brian O’Connor in the film long enough to complete the storyline.
“They have hired four actors with bodies very similar to Paul’s physique and they will be used for movement and as a base,” said a source to New York Daily News. “Paul’s face and voice will be used on top using CGI.”
Screenwriter Chris Morgan has been working on a revision of the script that would include a send off of Brian O’Connor using previously filmed scenes rather than killing him off.
Production on the film had been delayed after Walker died in a car crash outside of Los Angeles on November 30th, but Wan along with his cast, including Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, will be heading to Abu Dhabi in early April to finish additional filming.
Fast & Furious 7 is not the first time filmmakers have had call upon the use of computer-generated imagery to replace actors who have passed during the process of filming. When the passing of Oliver Reed occurred during the shooting of Gladiator, his scenes were completed with the use of CGI by having his face mapped onto a double’s head during post production.
Fast & Furious 7 will be released on April 10th 2015.
