‘Fast & Furious 7’ release pushed to April 2015

The release date of Fast & Furious 7 has been pushed back to April 10, 2015, according to Vin Diesel’s Facebook page (which was then picked up by Variety). The film was originally scheduled for release on July 11, 2014.

Following the death of actor Paul Walker, the production went on indefinite hold so that the cast and crew to mourn, while the studio and filmmakers discussed how to proceed. Diesel’s post is the first word of the release date officially changing. 

“The last scene we filmed together,” Diesel posted on his Facebook page, referencing an attached picture of himself and Walker. “There was a unique sense of completion, of pride we shared… in the film we were now completing… the magic captured… and, in just how far we’ve come… Fast and Furious 7 will be released… April 10th 2015! P.s. He’d want you to know first…”

Walker was killed on November 30 when a car driven by his friend and financial manager, Roger Rodas, hit a tree. An investigator recently determined that the cause of the accident was “speed, and speed alone.”

While it doesn’t appear that the film was ever in danger of being completely scrapped, the debate was between reshooting what was already filmed in order to utilize the footage Walker had already shot, and completely scrapping the existing film and starting over. Regardless, either option would have seriously delayed the film, which was already on an accelerated schedule in order to hit the summer 2014 date.

According to Variety, the filmmakers are working on a way to keep Walker’s existing footage while retiring his character, ex-cop Brian O’Conner. It may takes weeks or months before they decide on how to proceed.