This time it ain’t about just being fast
Continuing the global exploits in the unstoppable franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of Furious 7. James Wan directs this chapter of the hugely successful series that also welcomes back favorites Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black. The April 3, 2015 release also features Jason Statham, Tony Jaa, Kurt Russell and a cameo by Iggy Azaela.
Raising the bar when it comes to stunts:
When you think of “The Fast and the Furious” franchise, your first thought should be about cars. Lots and lots of beautiful and fast cars in all shapes and sizes. The part that makes these cars so magnificent is the death-defying stunts performed in each of the six films. Make no mistake – Furious 7 will not be any different. In fact, it will take the insane stunts to a whole new level.
Director James Wan, best known for Saw and The Conjuring, steps out of his horror film shoes to blow us out of the water with the heart-racing action flick, Furious 7. The film’s production budget of around $250 million was spent to impress fans and the trailers clearly indicate what depths they would go to, all into a condensed thrill ride.
One of the most noted stunts involves a scene in Dubai where a $3.4 million supercar is driven through a building and straight out of the window and into another building.
The beautiful red sports car at the center of it all is the Lykan HyperSport — the car is produced by a Dubai-based company, W Motors, and features a 3.7-liter twin-turbo engine and can hit 60 miles per hour in a cool 2.8 seconds. The car may not have actually been driven through Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, but it was driven through the side of a mock-up building and right over the edge.
If that wasn’t enough to give you heart palpitations, the thought of skydiving with your car should. In one scene, the entire “family” parachutes from a plane with their vehicles. Jumping out of a plane with nothing more than a backpack would be too simple so Dominic (Vin Diesel), Brian (Paul Walker), Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Roman (Tyrese Gibson), and Tej (Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges) drive out of the back of a plane miraculously landing in just the right spot to take off in a high speed chase, inevitably after a girl.
Just two weeks short of its Easter weekend release, many industry estimates are projecting Universal’s Furious 7 with a $115M opening. That figure would crown the film the largest April opener ever, easily topping last year’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($95M). It would also be the third largest pre-summer bow ever, behind 2012’s The Hunger Games ($152.5M) and 2010’s Alice in Wonderland ($116.1M).
A tribute to Paul Walker:
The film will mark the final film appearance of Paul Walker, who died on November 30, 2013 with filming only half-completed
At an advanced screening of the film in Los Angeles, Walker’s friend and co-star Vin Diesel reflected on that sentiment with a touching tribute to his late pal. “This was a labor of love. It was in some ways the hardest movie I ever had to do,” Diesel said. “Because the relationships that you see on film are so real. When the tragedy happened, I lost my best friend. I lost my brother. ”
It was reported that Walker’s character would be retired instead of killed, and that new scenes would be developed to retire his character, allowing the franchise to continue. Later Walker’s brothers Caleb and Cody Walker were used as stand-ins to complete his remaining scenes.
Exotic locations:
The film has been shot in exotic locations like Abu Dhabi, Toronto, Tokyo, Atlanta and Los Angeles.
A still from the film, shot in Abu Dhabi
The trailers alone are enough to send someone straight into cardiac arrest but a three-minute preview is just a taste of the absolutely insane stunts that will take place. James Wan and the cast will undoubtedly get your adrenaline pumping at full force when Furious 7 is released on April 3rd.
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