‘It’s something that is planned’
The director of Fast X has said that late star Paul Walker is still “very much alive” in the Fast and Furious franchise.
Walker played Brian O’Conner in six of the movies, before his tragic death in a car crash in 2013 at the age of 40.
He made his final appearance posthumously in Fast and Furious 6, but features in the trailer for the much-anticipated 10th instalment in the franchise, Fast X, which is out in May.
Explaining how Walker has been incorporated into Fast X, director Louis Leterrier told TotalFilm: “Well, Brian is very much alive in the world of Fast and Furious and they’ve teased him a lot in the previous movies.
“In 9, we see the car coming. It’s something that is planned. This movie jumps back and forth between the past and the present.”
He continued: “You will see Brian in the past, you won’t see Brian in the present. It’s something that everybody has to be on board with.
“The Walker family is still very much a part of this franchise, you’ll see how in this movie. It just has to be the right moment, the right tone.”
Thanks to CGI and Walker’s two brothers – who have acted as body doubles for the late actor during filming – Brian is still in the saga and living a happy retirement.
The trailer for Fast X sees Jason Mamoa wage war with Vin Diesel, and fans of the franchise will be pleased to see that the films’ love for explosions, cars and ridiculous stunts is still going strong.
Returning stars include Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, and Charlize Theron and, of course, Diesel, who reprises his role of Dominic Toretto.
The trailer was launched on 9 February at an event in Los Angeles, which was attended by members of the cast including Diesel, who honoured his late friend and co-star Walker by wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words ‘For Paul’.
Last November, Diesel shared a touching tribute to Walker on Instagram.
Fast X is coming to cinemas in the UK on May 19.
Related links:
- Vin Diesel walked Paul Walker’s daughter down the aisle
- Fast and Furious director quit because of ‘late’ and ‘out of shape’ Vin Diesel, claims producer
- John Cena addresses beef between Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel
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