Fast & Furious UAE shoot to go ahead despite Paul Walker tragedy

Plans for filming scenes of the upcoming Fast & Furious 7 movie in Abu Dhabi will go ahead, actor Tyrese Gibson told a UAE-based newspaper on Sunday.

The shoot had come to a standstill following the death of the film’s star, Paul Walker, in November. Following his death, it became unclear whether the film’s schedule would go forward as planned. Its release was pushed back from July 11, 2014 to April 10, 2015.

Walker, 40, appeared in all but one of the six movies in the popular franchise, and was a leading protagonist along with Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Gibson.

The scenes will be filmed in the emirate starting from next month. said Gibson.

“Right at the top of the year, we’ll be here for Fast 7,” the singer-actor told the newspaper, speaking in Dubai.

Gibson was asked to reflect on Walker’s death.

“At this point, it’s all about being inspired by Paul,” he shared. “I mean, he started the franchise, literally, one of my best friends ever, man.”

“Sometimes I find it hard to enjoy life because he’s not here, but me knowing him, he would want us to keep smiling, keep having fun. I’ve never seen him cry, I’ve never seen him sad. I’ve known him for 13 years, so you know, we gotta keep rocking. And we gotta keep this franchise alive. At this point, because it’s a multicultural film that has [had an impact] around the world, I know he would want us to continue doing this on his behalf.”