September 12th marks a heart-wrenching anniversary for the Fast and Furious family.
For today is Paul Walker’s birthday, who so tragically died in a traffic accident mid-way through the production of Furious 7, leading to an extended shooting hiatus and a period of grieving for Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Dwayne Johnson, and many of the other core figures that make up this billion-dollar franchise.
What followed was a total re-working of Furious 7 – so much so, in fact, that James Wan’s star-studded actioner became a heartfelt tribute to the man who lost his life far too young. And today, to mark what would have Walker’s 46th birthday, the likes of Vin Diesel, Dwyane Johnson, and Meadow Walker have all posted Instagram tributes remembering the star himself.
No words can properly capture the raw emotion of each post, so we’ll leave you in their company:
To say that Paul Walker’s life and legacy still has an impact on the Fast and Furious gang would be to deal in wild understatement. Nevertheless, following the launch and subsequent success of Hobbs & Shaw, there’s been a family feud bubbling beneath the surface.
It can all be traced back to the moment when Dwayne Johnson pitched his idea to spin out a Fast and Furious movie of his own, which went on to exist as a standalone adventure. Johnson’s plan soon gained the backing of Universal, though it came at a price: both Fast and Furious 9 and Fast and Furious 10 were delayed, and it’s only now that Hobbs & Shaw has come and gone that the likes of Diesel, Gibson, and Rodriguez can get back behind the wheel for episode nine. It’s currently slated for release on May 22nd, 2020.
