The Year That Was: 2014 in Film

Check out ALL of the PDC end of year lists!

Review: Ava DuVernay's 'Selma'

Starring David Oyelowo

Review: Rob Marshall's 'Into The Woods'

Starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Anna Kendrick

Tim Burton's 'Big Eyes'

Starring Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams

Showing posts with label Fast and Furious 7. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fast and Furious 7. Show all posts

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Check out the Official Trailer for 'Furious 7'


If you had told me back in 2001 that 13 years later we'd still be getting new F&F sequels I would have either flat out called you a liar or wept for the downfall of American cinema. Here we are, 2014, just months away from the latest installment of the franchise, not only is the series thriving but the last few movies have set a new standard of popcorn cinema sequels, showing that it's totally possible to reinvent your franchise while staying true to the core of your films. If not for the tragic passing of Paul Walker I would assume they could have kept the franchise going for at least two films after 7, hell...they still might!

The below trailer doesn't really show us too much about the central plot of the film, but it does show that the stunts, chemistry and fun are still there, what more do you need? Jason Statham is our big bad this time around, brother to the villain who was dispatched in 6. We caught sight of Statham's character in a post-credits sequence where it was revealed that he was behind the death of Han in Tokyo Drift, a scene that is revisited in this trailer. Then to the mobile jailbreak of Megan (Nathalie Emmanuel from Game of Thrones), which contains more than the usual amount of crazy cool that we've come to expect from the series. Added bonus of some shots featuring Kurt Russel!

Check out the trailer below and look for Furious 7 when it hits theaters April 3rd, 2014. 



Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Vin Diesel Reveals Two 'Fast & Furious 7' Images; Teases New Trailer



Does it feel like Fast & Furious 7 is taking forever to get here? With so much happening to the entire production and the close-knit cast, the anticipated action film and final performance by Paul Walker has been closely watched for a long time. Seven months separate fans from having a chance to check it out in theaters, but Vin Diesel is whetting appetites now by revealing two new images. He also took to his Facebook page to talk up the trailer, which hopefully will be arriving soon...

Diesel: "Universal came to visit, to show the trailer for FF7....Speechless... yeah, it was that INCREDIBLE! I must also say, that it was emotional and bittersweet... we all went above and beyond to make Pablo proud, but man, I wish he could see what we have created and just how far we have come."

Directed by James Wan, Fast & Furious 7 opens April 3rd with co-stars Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Tony Jaa, Kurt Russell, Nathalie Emmanuel, Djimon Hounsou, Lucas Black, John Brotherton, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Bewster.


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Iggy Azalea Has a Cameo in 'Fast & Furious 7'


The Fast & Furious movies have a long history of casting musicians either in cameos or lead roles, and as we've seen with Ludacris and Tyrese, sometimes they stick around for awhile. Will that be the case for rapper Iggy Azalea, who Vin Diesel confirmed has a role in Fast & Furious 7? Who knows, and frankly I'm more disturbed that Azalea is being called a hip-hop artist when that thing she does isn't close to hip-hop. That's a discussion for another day and venue, I guess.

Diesel: "Iggy Azaela, I just worked with her about two weeks ago. We casted her in 'Fast & Furious 7'. She has a cameo in 'Fast & Furious 7'."

It wouldn't be surprising if her cameo coincides with the small role for singer Romeo Santos, who joined a few months back. Production on Fast & Furious 7 is wrapped up and ready for release on April 3rd 2015.


Thursday, July 3, 2014

'Fast & Furious 7' Moved Up a Week; 'Insidious Chapter 3' Pushed Back


After experiencing delays in the wake of Paul Walker's sudden death, James Wan's Fast & Furious 7 has now been moved up a week to April 3rd 2015. This comes only a few days after Dwayne Johnson revealed on Twitter that he had wrapped up filming his scenes as Luke Hobbs...

The film brings back most of the cast from the prior movies while adding new faces Jason Statham, Tony Jaa, Kurt Russell, Ronda Rousey, Djimon Hounsou, and Nathalie Emmanuel. Paul Walker's brothers Cody and Caleb joined as stand-ins and stunt doubles for their late sibling.

Meanwhile, the franchise James Wan left has just seen its third installment pushed back a few weeks. Insidious Chapter 3, now directed by Wan's longtime collaborator Leigh Whannell, will now open May 29th 2015. Dermot Mulroney and Stefanie Scott will star as the story moves on to another family terrorized by evil spirits.


Tuesday, May 27, 2014

'Fast & Furious 7' Adds Grammy-Nominated Singer Romeo Santos


The Fast & Furious series has seen a number of chart-topping musical acts get behind the wheel. Obviously Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson have become centerpieces of the franchise where somebody like Ja-Rule only had one appearance then (thankfully) disappeared. The latest performer to get his shot is Latin singer Romeo Santos, joining the cast of Fast & Furious 7.

Santos held a concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles last week, and during the show Vin Diesel hit the stage to make the announcement. The singer then hit Instagram to share the news with his fans...

"S/O to @vindiesel for coming out last night and letting the world know that Romeo Santos will be in Fast and Furious 7. #romeosantos"

No word on Santos' role or how large it may be, but he joins other newcomers Kurt Russell, Jason Statham, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey, and Nathalie Emmanuel. Filming on Fast & Furious 7 is underway for release on April 10th 2015.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker's Brothers on the 'Fast & Furious 7' Set


It had been rumored for some time, but last week came confirmation that Paul Walker's brothers, Cody and Caleb, would be joining Fast & Furious 7 to give the Brian O'Connor character a fitting farewell. Mostly it'll be technical stuff, filling in for Paul on the unfinished scenes, and as this newly-released image by Vin Diesel shows, the resemblance between the brothers is stunning. Diesel also released this touching note on his Facebook page about the closeness he feels with the Walker family...

When I heard the news, I left the production, grabbed a plane and took my family and Michelle back to LA... drove directly to his parent's house...

His Father said, Paul loved you Vin... I awkwardly and nervously said, aw come on... then he said... you don't have to get along every second to love each other... so true.

P.s. After spending time with his biological brothers, I must say to the parents, you raised some great kids.


James Wan has resumed filming on Fast & Furious 7 in hopes of hitting the April 10th 2015 release date, but it's still unclear how they plan to write O'Connor out of the storyline. To me, this image makes it look as if the Walker brothers may do more than just play Paul's body doubles. 

Friday, January 3, 2014

'Fast & Furious 7' to Retire Paul Walker's Character



With Universal deciding to move forward with Fast & Furious 7 rather than scrapping it, the only question left was how they planned to handle the character played by the late Paul Walker. Delaying the film nearly a full year has given screenwriter Chris Morgan and director James Wan time to make use of the footage Walker had already been featured in, enough that he remains alongside Vin Diesel at the top of the bill. But with atleast two more movies left in the series, there was still some question as to how they would write Brian O'Connor out.

According to THR, Fast & Furious 7 will "retire" O'Connor from the franchise, rather than doing what some suspected and killing the character off. Additional scenes will be written and filmed to account for his departure, but this is probably the wisest course of action due to the sensitivity of the situation. There's nothing on the status of Jordana Brewster's character but since she and O'Connor are new parents it likely means she'll be written out, as well.

Fast & Furious 7 hits theaters April 10th 2015.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Cinema Royale #45- The Wolf of Wall Street; The Secret Life of Walter Mitty


On the final episode of 2013, Cinema Royale goes out with a bang taking a look at Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio's insane The Wolf of Wall Street! Plus, some have been mentioning Academy Awards and Ben Stiller in the same breath for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, but is it really that good? Plus, big news on Fast & Furious 7, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-men: Days of Future Past and more!

You can find Cinema Royale every single week on Blogtalkradio, Itunes, Libsyn, Stitcher, Podomatic, and as part of the Hashtag Studios Broadcast Network.  Listen to the latest episode below...

Discover Movies Internet Radio with Cinema Royale on BlogTalkRadio

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Paul Walker to Remain 'Fast & Furious 7' Star; Cody Walker May Help Fill In



 UPDATE: That Cody Walker Facebook page is apparently a fake. Oops! Those sections of the post have been deleted.

Now that we know for certain that Fast & Furious 7 will race into theaters April 10th 2015, adding yet another blockbuster to a field that doesn't seem to have room for it, the only question left was how Universal and James Wan planned to handle Paul Walker's character. Walker had shot about half of his scenes before his untimely death, and there was speculation the whole film could be scrapped if writer Chris Morgan couldn't find a way to salvage. Now comes a brief but significant update that suggests Morgan may have found a way.

According to Deadline, Universal is confirming Walker's scenes will remain in the film, billing him as a star alongside Vin Diesel. Or as the studio puts it...“Continuing the global exploits in the franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead the returning cast of Fast & Furious 7…” One thing working in its favor is that the franchise has largely become more of an ensemble, and that the Brian O'Connor character was in a place where a diminished role would make some sense.

There had been some rumors over the last couple of weeks that Paul's brother Cody could be stepping in to fill the void, at least for shots taken at a distance. So at least in that respect things seem to be up in the air a little bit. Filming begins on Fast & Furious 7 next year with new additions Jason Statham, Tony Jaa, Rhonda Rousey, Kurt Russell, and Djimon Hounsou.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Vin Diesel Reveals 'Fast & Furious 7' Moved to 2015


This weekend has been all about Vin Diesel dropping all of the big news. Not only was he officially confirmed for Guardians of the Galaxy, but he managed to get us all misty-eyed while revealing the latest update on Fast & Furious 7.

Diesel took to his Facebook page and posted what he says is the final scene he filmed with his late friend Paul Walker, who died suddenly just last month.  He also revealed that Fast & Furious 7, which Universal has been trying to figure out how to continue ever since, has been moved from its summer 2014 slot and into 2015....


It's been bumped far enough that it's possible Universal and director James Wan have decided to go ahead and start over from scratch, rather than having screenwriter Chris Morgan try to refashion something out of the already-shot material. Clearly there's going to be a lot of additional filming done, either way. 

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

'Fast & Furious 7' Could Restart in January


Universal has been trying over the last few days to come up with the right approach to handle Fast & Furious 7. At the time production was shut down a few days ago, after the sudden passing of star Paul Walker, the film was about half finished with extensive shooting still left to be done. More importantly, there were issues of sensitivity and being respectful to Walker's family and the castmates, who are all extremely close.

According to THR, Universal has enlisted writer Chris Morgan to try and salvage footage already shot, in order to try and give Paul Walker's character a proper "retirement". So it sounds as if Universal has made the wise decision and chosen not to kill Brian O'Conner off from the franchise, choosing to let him go quietly into a life of parenthood. If Morgan can do it, and really the chances of that are pretty slim, then production could start back up in January.

Assuming Morgan can't do it, then Universal will have to go with their recently-revealed plan of scrapping the entire thing and starting over. The film is heavily insured so it's not as if money is a concern, although the $150M insurance claim they would have to file would be the biggest in Hollywood history. In other words they've already poured in a great deal of cash on this film so they may as well make sure it gets done in a way that satisfies and respects everyone involved. There are no plans to end the franchise, either, as they intend to move forward on an eighth movie and probably a ninth.

Universal is already preparing for the film to not hit the target release date next summer by moving Dawn of the Planet of the Apes up a week into its July 11th 2014 slot.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Production on 'Fast & Furious 7' Officially Shut Down


There was never going to be an easy way for Universal and Fast & Furious 7 producers to handle the loss of Paul Walker, an actor who was beloved on set and an integral part of the franchise. Over the last few days the studio has been weighing its options, with production on the film put on hold while they worked with director James Wan on a solution. Yesterday we learned those plans could include scrapping everything and starting the film over from scratch, and while nothing has been made final, Universal has decided to shut the whole thing down for the time being. Here's their official statement:

"Right now, all of us at Universal are dedicated to providing support to Paul's immediate family and our extended Fast & Furious family of cast, crew and filmmakers.   At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on Fast & Furious 7 for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise.  We are committed to keeping Fast & Furious fans informed, and we will provide further information to them when we have it.  Until then, we know they join us in mourning the passing of our dear friend Paul Walker. "

Speaking of things to be scrapped, you can probably throw that July 11th 2014 release date on the top of the trash heap.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Could Producers Start 'Fast & Furious 7' Over from Scratch?


Sadly, the cast and crew of Fast & Furious 7 must figure out how to fight through the grief and move on without Paul Walker, and that means production has to start up again soon. The last we heard filming had been postponed while James Wan and Universal came up with a plan of attack, while fans have been batting around the options for days. Do they write his character Brian O'Conner out off-screen? Do it in a post-credits sequence? Or are producers considering something more drastic?

According to TheWrap, producers are thinking of scrapping everything that has been filmed so far. Walker still had a number of key scenes yet to be shot even though production was about halfway through completion, and since everything is insured Universal doesn't have to stress over the extra cost burden. Considering the last film banked more than $800M and has the most loyal fanbase of any home-grown franchise, not pissing off that audience is paramount. That means there are no plans to have another actor take Walker's role, nor are there any thoughts of digitally imposing Walker's face on another actor's body.

Coming to a firm decision could take weeks and there's a great deal of conflict about the next move. One source claims shooting the film without Walker is definitely on the table, while another says it isn't. But obviously writing off O'Conner without a proper resolution would be problematic for a number of reasons and would probably piss off the close-knit cast as well as the fans. And having him killed off in a car crash or explosion would definitely be considered insensitive, even a year from now.

Starting over may be the wisest course of action if only to allow time for a new script that can give Walker a proper exit, one that pays respect to the series' emphasis on family. For now, Fast & Furious 7 is slotted for July 11th 2014 but that is likely to change. We'll be talking about this subject more on the latest episode of Cinema Royale, so check it out!

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Cast of 'Fast & Furious 7' Remember Paul Walker; Film Delayed Not Cancelled


News of Paul Walker's death yesterday in a car accident continues to have the Hollywood community in a state of shock, and legions of the actor's fans and peers have come out on social media to comment on his passing. That includes the people he'll be most closely associated, his co-stars in the Fast & Furious franchise, a close-knit group many would say is closer to a family that just another cast. Vin Diesel, who starred with Walker in four F&F movies beginning in 2001, posted the above image to Instagram along with these words...

"Brother I will miss you very much. I am absolutely speechless. Heaven has gained a new Angel. Rest in Peace."

Early this morning Diesel would then take to Twitter to further express his condolences....

Other members of the Fast & Furious family expressed similar feelings about Walker....










Meanwhile, production on Fast & Furious 7 has understandably been delayed to allow the cast time to grieve. Filming was set to begin anew next week in Atlanta, but that will be held off until Universal execs and director James Wan come up with a plan for handling the situation. A good deal of the film had already been shot, and the cast was due to move to Abu Dhabi soon for additional shooting, but rewrites may be in order to explain the fate of Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, one of the two main leads opposite Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto. The film was already in a time squeeze to have it ready by next summer, and a lengthy delay could force them to change the release date.
It's also unclear whether plans will continue to keep Fast & Furious alive through a ninth film, or if this will force Universal to reevaluate. 

Friday, November 29, 2013

SPOILERS: Key Scene from 'Fast & Furious 7' is on the 'Fast & Furious 6' Blu-Ray



On December 10th the Fast & Furious 6 Blu-Ray races onto store shelves (hopefully you'll pre-order it here), and it comes with more than just the sheer awesomeness of the film itself. In the special features there is a scene from next year's Fast & Furious 7, and it's a pretty significant one. Spoilers for FF6 and FF7 beyond this point....

Ok, so those who saw FF6 know what happened to poor Han, as the franchise finally got around to catching up with The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in which he dies a fiery death. If you were like me then you were probably holding out hope that rumors of Han's death were greatly exaggerated, but that's not to be since Movies.com describes the scene as taking place during his funeral....

"The scene in question is the gang at Han’s funeral. So, if you were hoping that his death at the end of Fast & Furious 6 (which, in a surprise twist, was actually from Tokyo Drift) was a misdirect, it looks like you’re out of luck. He’s dead for real, and it’s hit the gang hard. There aren’t any tears shed (they’re all too manly for that), but Vin Diesel does croak out “You were always my brother, Han. He put you in this grave, so now I’ll do the same to him.”"

But that's not at all. A few weeks ago we were treated to a set image that seemed to indicate Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) was going to fall victim to a serious beating at some point, enough to land him in a hospital bed. Turns out that's definitely the case and Hobbs isn't going to make it out of this film unscathed....

"But Han’s death isn’t the big takeaway from the scene. We already knew he was dead. The bombshell comes when Ludacris says, “First Han, now Hobbs is laid up, of all people.” So at some point between FF6 and FF7, something serious happened to Hobbs to put him in the hospital. Considering new director James Wan has been tweeting about filming with the Rock, and the latter has been showing pictures from the set, it’s not like the accident will be offscreen. We’re betting that whatever happens to put Hobbs out of commission happens very early on during FF7, probably during the film’s opening action scene."

Jason Statham vs. Dwayne Johnson seems like the perfect way to kick things off, doesn't it? Fast & Furious 7 hits theaters July 11th 2014.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Dwayne Johnson is the Cavalry in New 'Fast & Furious 7' Set Image


For awhile there was some concern that the always-busy Dwayne Johnson wouldn't have time for Fast & Furious 7, as the schedule seemed to conflict with Brett Ratner's Hercules. Fortunately, everything worked out and Agent Hobbs will be fighting and racing alongside Dominic Toretto's crew at least one more time. In Johnson latest Instagram image, it shows him all decked out as Hobbs and ready to jump into the action.

'I didn't bring the cavalry 'I AM the cavalry' ~ #HobbsTheBeast On set. 4am. High on dirty thoughts & adrenaline as I wait for my director and partner in crime, James Wan (standing deep in the background) to yell "ACTION". #FastAndFurious7 #SilverbackOfTheLaw #ThisIsHowIWalkIntoMyBedroom"


Look close and you can see what appears to be director James Wan far off in the distance, right in the middle of all the destruction? What? Destruction in a Fast & Furious flick? That's crazy talk.

Fast & Furious 7 opens July 11th 2014 and stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Kurt Russell, Nathalie Emmanuel, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey, Lucas Black and John Brotherton.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Vin Diesel Put Dwayne Johnson in the Hospital in New 'Fast & Furious 7' Image


Vin Diesel took to his popular Facebook page again to pump next year's Fast & Furious 7, revealing a new image from the film's set. However this one's a bit more interesting than others as it not only shows co-star Dwayne Johnson has finally come over after filming Hercules, but that he's laid up in a hospital bed.



The take away is that Agent Hobbs, sporting a very Pain & Gain-esque tank top, is going to take a beating somewhere down the line. Chances are it won't be at the hands of Diesel's Dominic Toretto character, but maybe at the hands of the villain played by Jason Statham? Staham vs. Johnson? Yeah, I'd pay to see that! Speaking of which, here's an image of Diesel and Statham studying up on their lines. I'm sure it was a brief conversation.



Fast & Furious 7 opens July 11th 2014, directed by James Wan.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Watch Vin Diesel and Tony Jaa Combat Train for 'Fast & Furious 7'; New Trailer for 'The Protector 2'


Vin Diesel is 46 years old, but you'd never know it to look at him in this new training video for Fast & Furious 7. Growing older also doesn't seem to have affected his social networking proficiency, as the popular star's Facebook page is rapidly approaching 50 million likes, leading to the release of this footage of him sparring with martial arts superstar Tony Jaa of Ong Bak fame.


So this video is incredible for any number of reasons. For one thing, it shows Diesel is quite the bad ass in his own right and not just a guy who looks tough on screen. But also it's great to see Jaa, who co-stars in the film as well, enjoying the process of making movies again. He famously became disillusioned after the Ong Bak franchise and left the business for a time, but now he's back in a major way. He's also got a sequel to his unquestioned classic The Protector on the way, for which an extended, 3D version of the trailer has been released.

Fast & Furious 7 opens on July 11th, while The Protector 2 hits Thailand tomorrow.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Is the "Resilient" Gal Gadot Coming Back for 'Fast & Furious 7'?


A number of new characters are coming aboard Fast & Furious as it begins the third trilogy, but there have also been a couple of major losses. *SPOILER AHEAD* Fast & Furious 6 saw the demise of both Han (Sung Kang) and his beautiful, dangerous lady Gisele (Gal Gadot) in the film's climactic moments. Han's death tied the loop going back around to The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and we've seen images from Fast & Furious 7 of his funeral. But Gisele's death was a little less certain, so is there a chance she could be making a comeback?

Vin Diesel has revealed a new image on his popular Facebook page, and it's of him looking grinning like a fool (who wouldn't be??) while chatting up Gadot. It's the accompanying caption that might be the most telling, though...

“Gisele, one of my favorite characters introduced in the last trilogy…
A very resilient character… with a depth and complexity that hints at more to come…

P.s. The characters introduced in F7, will expand the Fast Universe in a very cool way.”


"Resilient"? "More to come"? If Gisele did somehow survive it stands to reason she'll be helping out Dominic Toretto and his crew take on the man who killed Han, Owen Shaw, played by Jason Statham. 

Fast & Furious 7 stars newcomers Kurt Russell, Tony Jaa, Djimon Hounsou, Ronda Rousey, Lucas Black, and opens July 11th 2014.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Kurt Russell Confirmed In New 'Fast & Furious 7' Set Image


It's possible that the addition of Kurt Russell could be more important to Fast & Furious 7 than Jason Statham. At least over the long haul, that is. The only question was whether or not he would actually come aboard the franchise after being rumored for an expanding role a couple of weeks ago. Turns out the ink has now dried and Russell has already begun showing up to work because Vin Diesel just dropped this image of of the veteran actor on set.

What we know about Russell's character suggests he's going to be around for awhile, and has roots that run all the way back to 2001's The Fast and the Furious. What's clear is that he won't be part of Dominic Toretto's crew and will be at least in some way associated with Ian Shaw (Statham), the villain seeking revenge for the death of his brother in Fast & Furious 6. Russell's role is expected to be small now but grow into something larger in Fast & Furious 8, and since we now know there will be a ninth film it could possibly spill over into that.

Russell joins other newcomers Tony Jaa, Djimon Hounsou, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ronda Rousey, with Lucas Black making his triumphant return. Fast & Furious 7 opens on July 11th 2014.