'We obviously lost a dear friend, brother, comrade when we were making this movie. He was really the best guy I ever met in my world - in my life,' producer Neal Moritz says of Walker.
- Mar 17, 2015
AceShowbiz - "Furious 7" was premiered at SXSW Film Festival on Monday, March 16 during when cast members and crowd attending the event paid tribute to late actor Paul Walker. The film star died in a car accident in November 2013 midway through filming of the seventh installment in the "Fast and Furious" film franchise.
"We obviously lost a dear friend, brother, comrade when we were making this movie. He was really the best guy I ever met in my world - in my life," film producer Neal Moritz said in his introductory remarks. "When we decided we were going to continue this movie, we were determined to honor his legacy and our love for him forever. ... I know Paul Walker would be smiling down on all of us."
Actor Tyrese Gibson who joined Moritz on stage at the Paramount Theater in Austin went on adding, "We don't look at y'all as fans of the movie. Most of you grew up with us. The reason we kept the movie going is on behalf of our brother Paul Walker." "Furious 7" was a last-minute addition to this year's SXSW lineup and it closed with a touching tribute to Walker, which left many attendances holding back tears.
"Furious 7" will be hitting U.S. theaters on April 3. The film's production was put on hold for months following Paul Walker's tragic death before Universal and the grieving cast finally decided to proceed filming with the late actor's brothers Caleb and Cody joining the cast as stand-ins.
