Paul Walker was the heart of the Fast and Furious franchise. Since the first movie way back in 2001, his chemistry with Vin Diesel and the familial bond between the cast have been the main selling points of the franchise. Furious 7 sadly became Walker’s last appearance in the franchise or any film on-screen as he tragically passed away in a vehicular accident while shooting the film.
Director Justin Lin who directed the fourth, fifth, and sixth installments of the franchise stepped down and James Wan took over to direct Furious 7. Walker was hesitant and fearful of the change of a director whom he trusted and worked together in 3 of the films in the franchise. But he slowly became confident in Wan’s vision of the film.
Paul Walker Was Scared To Do Furious 7
Paul Walker and the gang returned for the seventh film in the franchise after the humungous success of the sixth installment. But director Justin Lin was stepping down as director and James Wan was taking over the directing duties. Losing a trusting director like Lin affected Walker and he was fearful and unsure of what Wan could bring to the franchise. He told Collider,
I was so scared, going in without Justin [Lin]. I ran into J.J. Abrams at South by Southwest, and he was like, ‘Hey, what’s up man?’ I said, ‘They want us to go do another Fast & Furious, but my man, Justin, isn’t coming back. I don’t know if I want to do it.’ He said, ‘F**k, don’t do it then.’ That was coming from a director. I thought that was cool. I really was like, ‘I don’t know.’
So, when James was anointed as the new guy, Peter called me up and said, ‘Dude, you’re gonna love him. That guy’s amazing!’ Coming from Peter, that meant something. I really respect him. I was like, ‘That’s good.’ And then, it turned into a conversation with James over the phone, and I was like, ‘This guy is so sweet. He’s so nice.’
My intuition is on point with people. I can read people. Even through the phone, you can read sincerity. You can’t bullshit me. I’ve been around too many sharks, for too long. I was like, ‘He’s a really good guy.’ I called up Peter and was like, ‘You weren’t kidding. This guy is awesome!'”
Wan delivered the most emotionally resonant film of the franchise. Furious 7 also became the highest-grossing film of the franchise, earning around $1.5 billion at the box office.
Paul Walker Had Nothing But Great Things to Say About James Wan
James Wan delivered undoubtedly the most emotionally satisfying installment of the Fast and Furious franchise in Furious 7. He had stepped in as a newbie in the franchise, taking over directing duties from franchise director Justin Lin.
Walker was initially fearful of the change in directors but he slowly admired Wan’s dedication and hard work. He was impressed with Wan’s spontaneity and his unique directorial skills. Walker told Collider,
“James is really excited on set. He’s just a cool guy. There wasn’t nearly enough time for prep. We got it going way too fast like we always do. There are times where he was barely able to keep up with it because it was moving so quick, but you’d never know it because he won’t reveal it. He’s a little ninja. He’s a little assassin warrior. Justin was the same way.
He has the heart of a lion. I’m really, really impressed with James, as a person. The shots and what he comes up with, there’s a certain fluidity. He definitely has a look. He’s a shooter. He has good movement. I like his angle and composition, and the way he looks at things. He’s a talented guy. We’ll see what happens. He deserves a victory, I’ll tell you that.”
Sadly, the film was the last appearance of Walker in the franchise. The film also paid an emotional and bittersweet tribute to the late actor at the end. Walker’s absence has been felt in every installment that came after.
