A CGI version of the late Paul Walker was considered for The Fate of the Furious according to the film’s director.
The passing of Paul Walker was a shock to fans around the world and ultimately led Furious 7 using CGI to send off his character in the right way.
Well according to F. Gary Gray, this technique was again considered for The Fate of the Furious, as he explained in a recent interview with Screen Rant.
“We had hundred of conversations about the best way, the classiest way to handle and address Paul’s legacy in this franchise. You know, there’s multiple ways you can go. You could create a digital Paul and make him more of a character. You could leave him out and pretend that he’s in this world anymore. These are all conversations we had and we felt like the choice we made respected his legacy the best. And my understanding is that his family was really happy with how we treated him.”
CGI versions of real life actors have become quite popular as of late with Star Wars using the technique to mixed reception with Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One.
Respect for the actor in question is of course the key issue here and it seems like the consensus of fans is to avoid this CGI technique wherever possible. So perhaps The Fate of the Furious made the right decision with regards to Walker.
Now that Dom and Letty are on their honeymoon and Brian and Mia have retired from the game—and the rest of the crew has been exonerated—the globetrotting team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman (Oscar winner Charlize Theron) seduces Dom into the world of crime he can’t seem to escape and a betrayal of those closest to him, they will face trials that will test them as never before.
From the shores of Cuba and the streets of New York City to the icy plains off the arctic Barents Sea, our elite force will crisscross the globe to stop an anarchist from unleashing chaos on the world’s stage…and to bring home the man who made them a family.
The Fate of the Furious is directed by F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton) and features a cast that includes Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Eva Mendes, Elsa Pataky, Lucas Black, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kurt Russell, Kristofer Hivju, Scott Eastwood, Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron.
Originally published July 6, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
