'Fast and Furious 7′ Gets New Release Date

Following the sad and unexpected death of Fast & Furious franchise star Paul Walker, the fate of next year's sequel Fast & Furious 7 was in question as the studio delayed production of the film indefinitely in order to let Walker's friends and family grieve and then figure out how to proceed. There have been rumblings that the studio could start from scratch and scrap Walker's scenes altogether, but Universal has confirmed that he will remain a prominent cast member in the sequel, and they have pushed back the release to April 10th, 2015, adding it to the crazy calendar of blockbusters already set for release. In addition, Vin Diesel actually broke this news with a bittersweet photo from the set of the sequel. Look now!

Vin Diesel posted this photo to his Facebook page when announcing the new release date first:

Speaking of the photo, Diesel wrote:

"The last scene we filmed together…

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…"

So there you have it. The delay in release should give family, friends and fans enough time to grieve over the loss of Walker, and it also gives the writers, cast and crew enough time to recoup and figure out how to move forward. Walker will most likely go out gloriously if they choose to kill off his character, though that moment itself might sting a little for fans when they experience it in theaters. Again, we're not sure of the specifics about how Walker's scenes will be handles, but we know he won't be left on the cutting room floor. It's sad that this kind of thing even has to be done. Make sure you check out Universal's tribute video here.