Not that you needed to be told to know it, but Universal didn't go to all the trouble of CGI-ing their way past the death of Paul Walker, whose autopsy revealed was still alive immediately after that tragic car crash last November, only to retire the franchise the moment that Furious 7 finally hits theaters in April. According to the latest gossip news updates, there will be at least three more Fast and Furious sequels before all is said and done. There is no word just yet whether or not Vin Diesel plans to return for all the movies or not, but regardless of what Dom Toretto is up to, Tokyo Drift lead, Lucas Black has reportedly already signed a contract for two more Fast films.
Early this month the internet was abuzz with speculation that famed director, Justin Lin, who brought the Fast and Furious franchise back from the brink of extinction, would be returning to film all the final sequels all at once for Universal.
That story didn't hold water for Universal Pictures chairwoman, Donna Langley, who told The Hollywood Reporter, that while they are definitely planning a few more films at this moment, no one it talking about ending the franchise--ever:
"We'll see what happens with Furious 7, obviously, but our box office has grown over the past three or four films and internationally, in particular.
"So we think that there's more to mine there. But we're of course very mindful about fatigue.
"I think it's still a growing franchise."
Donna also revealed that the studio execs have no worries about the franchise struggling without a living Paul Walker available for the sequels:
"Paul is, and always will be, an integral part of the story.
"But there are many other great characters, and it's also an opportunity to introduce new characters.
"We think there's at least three more."
Original cast member Jordana Brewster, who plays Walekr's wife in the Fast movies when not filming her TV show Dallas, told E! News that she thought that it would be cathartic to see Paul up there driving a badass car one last--as sort of closure for the fans:
"I think the beautiful thing is that they get to see Paul again...and in a way celebrate him.
"I've heard he's really, really good in it, so I look forward to seeing him too.
"Obviously it will be bittersweet, but I think it's a way for fans to revisit him."
Perhaps if they leave Walker completely out of the next sequel, Vin Diesel will be able to get his grove back.
There were reports surfacing during filming that Vin wasn't being his usual charming self on the set, but as Diesel explained to ET, he was really being asked to do something that was kind of as cruel as it was unusual:
"When you've worked with someone for 15 years and you know each other's idiosyncrasies and you've created magic together for so long, it's a strange thing to mourn that person and simultaneously pretend that person is next to you."
At least Universal hasn't tried to CGI Walker into any of the press junkets.
