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Furious 7
Furious 7
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Furious 7
A close up of a car on a desert, with a group of people looking at it from a distance. Above the film's title, the tagline reads "VENGEANCE HITS HOME".
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJames Wan
Written byChris Morgan
Based onCharacters
by Gary Scott Thompson
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by
Music byBrian Tyler
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • April 1, 2015 (2015-04-01) (TCL Chinese Theatre)
  • April 3, 2015 (2015-04-03) (United States)
Running time
137 minutes[3]
CountriesUnited States
China
LanguageEnglish
Budget$190–250 million
Box office$1.515 billion[4]

Furious 7 (also known as Fast & Furious 7) is a 2015 action film directed by James Wan and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to Fast & Furious 6 (2013), a follow-up to The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), and the seventh installment in the Fast & Furious franchise. The film stars an ensemble cast including Vin Diesel, Paul Walker (in his final film role), Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Djimon Hounsou, Kurt Russell and Jason Statham. In the film, Dominic Toretto, Brian O'Conner and their team are recruited by covert ops leader Mr. Nobody to prevent Mose Jakande (Hounsou), a terrorist, from obtaining a hacking program known as God's Eye, all while being hunted by Deckard Shaw, the brother of Owen Shaw.

Plans for a seventh installment were first announced in February 2012 when Johnson stated that production on the film would begin after the completion of Fast & Furious 6. In April 2013, Wan, predominantly known for horror films, was announced to direct the film. Casting showed the returns of Diesel and Walker that same month. Principal photography began that September in Atlanta, but was indefinitely suspended in November after Walker died in a car crash; filming resumed in April 2014 and ended in July, with Walker's brothers Caleb and Cody standing-in to complete his remaining scenes, causing delay to its 2015 release date, with other filming locations including Los Angeles, Colorado, Abu Dhabi and Tokyo. Brian Tyler, who had composed the score for Fast Five (2011), returned to compose the seventh installment. With an estimated production budget of up to $250 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made.

Furious 7 premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on April 1, 2015, and was released in the United States on April 3, by Universal Pictures. The film was a box office success and it received positive reviews from critics for its action sequences and emotional tribute to Walker, with many considering it to be one of the best films in the franchise. It grossed $1.515 billion worldwide, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 2015 and the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time at the time of release. It also set a record for the second-highest opening weekend of its time. It was the highest-grossing film of 2015 internationally and became the highest-grossing film of the franchise in the first twelve days of its theatrical release. A sequel titled The Fate of the Furious was released on April 14, 2017.

Plot

[edit]

After defeating Owen Shaw and securing pardons for their past crimes,[a] Dominic Toretto, Brian O'Conner, and the team have returned to the US to live normal lives. Dom tries to help Letty Ortiz regain her memory, while Brian accustoms himself to life as a father.

Meanwhile, Owen's elder brother Deckard Shaw breaks into the hospital, where the comatose Owen is held in London and vows to exact revenge. Deckard breaks into the DSS field office in LA to extract profiles of Dom's crew and fights Luke Hobbs before he escapes, detonating a bomb that severely injures Hobbs. Dom learns from his sister Mia that she is pregnant again and convinces her to tell Brian. However, a letter bomb sent by Deckard, who has presumably killed Han Lue in Tokyo,[a] explodes and destroys the Toretto house.

Dom meets Hobbs and learns about Deckard before he travels to Tokyo to retrieve Han's body. There, he races Sean Boswell[b] and acquires the objects found at the crash site from him. As Dom, Brian, Tej Parker and Roman Pearce mourn Han and Gisele Yashar at Han's funeral in LA, Dom spots Deckard spying on them and confronts him in an underground tunnel, but Deckard flees when a covert ops team, led by government agent Mr. Nobody, arrives. Mr. Nobody tells Dom that he will help them in stopping Deckard if he helps him retrieve God's Eye, a computer program capable of tracking a specific individual using anything on a digital network, and save its creator Ramsey from Mose Jakande, a Nigerian terrorist.

The team airdrops their off-road modified cars over the Caucasus Mountains in Azerbaijan and ambush Jakande's convoy, where they rescue Ramsey and leave for the Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi. They steal the flash drive containing the God's Eye chip from a billionaire hidden in a W Motors Lykan HyperSport. With God's Eye secure, Dom, Brian, Nobody, and his team use it to hunt Deckard to an abandoned factory, but are ambushed by Jakande and his henchmen, who have allied with Deckard, and are forced to flee while Jakande obtains God's Eye.

Mr. Nobody is medically extracted, while the team returns to LA. Dom plans to fight Deckard alone, while Letty, Brian, Tej and Roman resolve to protect Ramsey from Jakande. Brian promises Mia that he will fully dedicate himself to their family after he defeats Deckard and Jakande. As Jakande pursues Brian and the rest of the team with a stealth helicopter and an aerial drone, Ramsey attempts to hack into God's Eye. Discovering the situation, Hobbs leaves the hospital and destroys the drone with an ambulance. After battling and killing Jakande's henchman Kiet, Brian hijacks a signal repeater tower that allows Ramsey to control God's Eye and shut it down.

As the military closes into the city, Jakande attempts to flee and spots Dom and Deckard engaging in a brawl atop a public parking garage. Intervening, Jakande turns on Deckard and attacks both men. Dom uses the distraction to defeat Deckard by causing part of the parking garage to collapse beneath him. Dom attempts to crash his Dodge Charger onto Jakande's helicopter, where he leaves a bag of grenades on the helicopter and crashes on the rubble of the garage. Hobbs shoots the grenades, destroying the helicopter and killing Jakande.

After Brian and Hobbs help Letty bring out Dom's unconscious body, Letty cradles Dom and tells him that she has fully regained her memories and has remembered their wedding. Dom regains consciousness. Deckard is arrested by Hobbs and CIA, where he is locked up in a black site prison. The rest of the team relaxes on a tropical beach. Brian and Mia play with their son Jack, while Dom, Letty, Roman, Tej, and Ramsey look on, acknowledging that Brian is happily retired with his family. Dom drives away and Brian catches up with him. As Dom recalls his memories with Brian, they bid each other farewell and drive off in separate directions.

Cast

[edit]
Furious 7 marked the final film performance of Paul Walker, who died in a car crash in 2013. The film is dedicated to his memory.
  • Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto: A former criminal, professional street racer and millionaire who has retired and settled down with his wife, Letty.[5]
  • Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner: A former LAPD police officer and FBI agent turned criminal who has retired and settled down with his wife, Mia, and their son, Jack. This was Walker's final Fast and Furious film, as well as his final film appearance.[5]
    • Caleb and Cody Walker, Paul's younger brothers, were used as stand-ins to complete his remaining scenes following their brother's death.[6]
  • Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs: A DSS agent who allied with Dom and his team after their outings in Rio de Janeiro and Europe.[5] Johnson initially said that if Universal Pictures pursued the accelerated development of a seventh film beginning in the summer, he would be unable to participate due to scheduling conflicts with filming on Hercules (2014).[7] However, as production for Furious 7 would commence in September, Johnson confirmed his return, for Hercules would complete production in time to enable him to shoot the film.
  • Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz-Toretto: Dom's wife and a professional street racer, who was revealed to have suffered from amnesia after being presumed dead in Fast & Furious (2009).[5]
  • Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce: A former criminal and childhood friend of Brian from Barstow, and a member of Dom's team.[5]
  • Ludacris (credited as Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) as Tej Parker: A mechanic from Miami and a member of Dom's team.[5]
  • Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto: Dom's sister and a former member of his team who has settled down with her husband, Brian, and their son, Jack.[5]
  • Djimon Hounsou as Mose Jakande: A Nigerian-born mercenary and terrorist who leads a private military company that allies with Shaw, and uses God's Eye to track its creator, and uses her to track down his enemies.[5]
  • Tony Jaa as Kiet: A member of Jakande's team who possesses great agility, athleticism, and fighting prowess. Thai martial arts actor Jaa was confirmed to have joined the cast in August 2013, making his Hollywood debut.[8][9]
  • Ronda Rousey as Kara: The Head of Security for an Abu Dhabi billionaire. Rousey's involvement was confirmed in August 2013. Having committed to The Expendables 3 (2014) at the same time, Rousey was forced to shoot both films back-to-back in order to allow herself 45 days to focus on training for her UFC championship rematch against Miesha Tate. Her participation in the film was similar to that of Gina Carano making the transition from mixed martial arts fighting to acting, following Carano's involvement in Fast & Furious 6 (2013).[10]
  • Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey: A British computer hacktivist and the creator of the God's Eye, who allies with Dom and his team after being saved from Jakande and helps them to regain control of her program.[5]
  • Kurt Russell as Mr. Nobody: The leader of a covert ops team who agrees to help Dom stop Shaw if he can help him prevent Jakande from obtaining a computer program called the God's Eye.
  • Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw: A former special forces soldier and intelligence agent who seeks to avenge his comatose younger brother after his hospitalization at the hands of Dom and his team in Spain.

John Brotherton portrays Sheppard, Mr. Nobody's right-hand man.[5][11][12][13] Sung Kang and Gal Gadot appear in archive footage as Han Lue and Gisele Yashar. Lucas Black reprises his role as Sean Boswell, an American street racer who lives in Tokyo whom Dom meets when he travels to Tokyo to claim the body of Han, a mutual friend of theirs killed by Shaw. In September, it was confirmed that Black had signed on to reprise his role as Boswell for Furious 7 and two more installments.[14][15] Elsa Pataky reprises her role as Elena Neves, a DSS agent and former Rio police officer who moved to the United States to become Hobbs' new partner at the DSS.[5] Luke Evans briefly reprises his role as Owen Shaw, Deckard's now comatose younger brother, from Fast & Furious 6 (2013), and Noel Gugliemi reprises his role as Hector for a cameo appearance from The Fast and the Furious (2001).[16]

Ali Fazal portrays Safar, a friend of Ramsey to whom she sent the God's Eye for safekeeping. Fazal described his role as a cameo.[17] Australian rapper Iggy Azalea (who also appears on the soundtrack) makes a cameo appearance as a racer at Race Wars.[18][19][20] American singer/rapper T-Pain appears as himself as he DJs a party in Abu Dhabi.[21][22] Romeo Santos makes a cameo appearance as Mando, who shelters Mia in the Dominican Republic and Klement Tinaj appears as one of the Race Wars racers.[23]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

On October 21, 2011, the Los Angeles Times reported that Universal Studios was considering filming two sequels—Fast Six and Fast Sevenback-to-back with a single storyline running through both films. Both would be written by Chris Morgan and directed by Justin Lin, who had been the franchise's writer and director, respectively, since The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006).[24] On December 20, 2011, following the release of Fast Five (2011), Vin Diesel stated that Fast & Furious 6 (2013) would be split into two parts, with writing for the two films occurring simultaneously. On the decision, Diesel said:[25]

We have to pay off this story, we have to service all of these character relationships, and when we started mapping all that out it just went beyond 110 pages  ...  The studio said, 'You can't fit all that story in one damn movie!'[25]

However, in an interview on February 15, 2012, Dwayne Johnson stated that the two intended sequels would no longer be filmed simultaneously because of weather issues in filming locations, and that production on this film would only begin after the completion of Fast & Furious 6 (2013).[26]

In April 2013, during the post-production of the retitled Fast & Furious 6 (2013), Lin announced that he would not return to direct the seventh film, as the studio wanted to produce the film on an accelerated schedule for release in summer 2014. This would have required Lin to begin pre-production on the sequel while performing post-production on Fast & Furious 6 (2013), which he considered would affect the quality of the final product. Despite the usual two-year gap between the previous installments, Universal chose to pursue a sequel quicker due to having fewer reliable franchises than its competitor studios.[27] However, subsequent interviews with Lin have suggested that the sixth film was always intended to be the final installment under his direction.[28]

In April 2013, Australian director James Wan, predominantly known for horror films, was announced as the sequel's director, with Neal H. Moritz and Michael Fottrell returning to produce and Morgan returning to write the script, his fifth in the franchise. On April 16, 2013, Diesel announced that the sequel would be released on July 11, 2014.[29] In May 2013, Diesel said that the sequel would feature Los Angeles, Tokyo, and the Middle East as locations.[30][31]

Filming

[edit]

Principal photography began in early September 2013 in Atlanta, with a casting call issued.[32][33] Abu Dhabi was also a filming location;[34] the production crew chose it over Dubai, as they would benefit from the Emirate's 30% rebate scheme.[35] Pikes Peak Highway in Colorado was closed in September to film some driving sequences.[36]

Spiro Razatos returned to serve as stunt coordinator and second unit director, having previously done so for Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6. He was joined in these duties by Jack Gill, who also worked with him on the previous two films, and Joel Kramer, who previously directed second unit for director Wan on The Conjuring (2013) and Death Sentence (2007) and would later work with him again on The Conjuring 2 (2016).[37]

On September 16, the production filmed with Paul Walker and the Kimsey twins, playing his son, Jack,[38] in front of an Atlanta elementary school.[39] Han's funeral scene was filmed at Oakland Cemetery,[40] with extras needed for the scene being "hot, hip and trendy cool types of all ethnicities between the ages of 18 and 45".[41] On the evening of September 19, Lucas Black joined the production[42] for his sole scene with Diesel, in an Atlanta parking garage. Separate scenes with Walker also shot in the same location on the same night,[43] including one half of a phone conversation between his character and Jordana Brewster's.

On October 24, over a month into the film's production, Johnson tweeted he had started shooting for the film after wrapping up on Hercules.[44] Five days later, Diesel posted the first photo of Johnson on the set, in the hospital scene.[45]

Death of Paul Walker

[edit]

On November 30, Walker, who portrayed Brian O'Conner, died in a single-vehicle accident.[46][47] The next day, Universal announced that production would continue after a delay that would allow the filmmakers to rework the film.[48] On December 4, Universal put production on hold indefinitely.[48] Wan later confirmed that the film had not been cancelled.[49] On December 22, Diesel announced that the film would be released on April 10, 2015.[50] On February 27, 2014, The Hollywood Reporter reported that filming would resume on April 1, and that the cast and crew had headed to Atlanta to prepare for about eight more weeks of shooting.[51] Principal photography ended on July 10.[52]

Stunts

[edit]
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules[53] was used in the film to carry the vehicles that would drop from 12,000 feet high, above the Sonoran Desert, making cars plummet at a speed of about 130 to 140 miles per hour.[54][55]

The "airdrop" sequence was conceived by Razatos, who told Business Insider that he wanted to rely more on real stunts rather than CGI because he wanted the whole sequence to "feel real" and fulfill audiences' expectations.[37][56] The stunt took months of prep-solving problems. Cameras needed to be mounted onto cars in a way that they would not be destroyed when the cars landed, and the crew had to figure out a safe way to get the cars out of the plane. They performed a dry run with a single car falling out of a plane[56] and did this six times.[37] Cars were dropped from a Lockheed C-130 Hercules high above the Arizona desert, but close up shots that show the cars landing on a mountain road were filmed in Colorado.[37] There were two airplanes, flying at a height of 12,000 feet, each dropping two cars apiece.[56] BRS parachutes enabled with GPS were secured to each of the cars before dropping off the C-130 plane. At about 5,000 feet, the parachutes deployed.[37] Over 10 cameras were used for the sequence. In addition to cameras on the ground, there were cameras remotely operated inside the plane and another three mounted outside each car. Additional cameras were on a helicopter, where Razatos was stationed watching monitors. Three skydivers used in the shoot wore helmet cameras to help shoot the sequence from multiple angles. Sky divers would either jump out before cars or after them.[56] While all the cars landed on their drop zones, 70% landed perfectly and 30% did not.[37] For the close-up scenes which show the actors inside their cars, a giant gimbal with a 360-degree range of movement were attached to each of the cars and was filmed against a green screen to reproduce their tumble through the sky.[57] The last part of the scene, which shows the cars hitting the road was shot separately. To get that right, the team set up a pulley system that had cars six to ten feet above the ground. When they were dropped from the cranes, the stuntmen who were sitting in the driver's seats raced their engines at about 35 to 40 miles per hour and slid to the ground at full speed. Those cranes were then later removed from the film with computers.[37][57] Razatos claims, therefore, that the air drop sequence was "all real" and that it would be "hard to top".[56][37]

The scene featuring Brian jumping off a bus off a cliff was performed by a stuntman and was all done without any computer graphics.[58] The shooting for this particular sequence along with the scene in which Dom and his team are pursuing to rescue Ramsey almost did not happen due to the absence of tax break in Colorado.[58] The studio originally wanted to shoot the sequence in Georgia which provides tax breaks for film productions, and then add woods in the background later in post-production to which Razatos denied saying, "the audience is going to know [it's CGI] and aren't going to feel good about it."[58] Shooting finally took place in Colorado.[58]

A total of 340 cars were used in the film,[57] and more than 230 cars were destroyed in the making of the film, including several black Mercedes-Benzes, a Ford Crown Victoria, and a Mitsubishi Montero.[59] The film featured the on-screen destruction of a Lykan HyperSport by W Motors, valued at $3.4 million,[60] though the actual car destroyed was a less expensive model made for the film rather than one of the seven actual production HyperSports.[61] The mountain-highway chase scene on Colorado's Monarch Pass proved to be the most damaging sequence with over 40 vehicles being destroyed.[59][62] Only 10 percent of the action sequences in the film were computer-generated, and even then, much of the CGI was employed simply to erase the wires and other contraptions that were used to film real cars and drivers or to add a background.[57] It took more than 3,500 man-days to complete the various stunts of the film.[57]

Redevelopment of Walker's character

[edit]

When I first heard the news, I was shell-shocked like everyone, and it took me days to come to terms with it. And then after that, heartbreaks started sinking in and we realized that Paul [Walker] wasn't going to be around with us anymore moving forward, and it was a really hard one. And finishing the movie was the last thing on my mind at that point. It was more the idea of ... picking up the pieces, going back on set, rallying the team, the cast, and the crew, and as the director, having to put on the brave face and champion and push everyone along. The idea of that was very daunting for me, but it became very apparent to all of us that we needed to finish this movie to honour Paul's legacy and to basically honour his memories ... it was about making this movie for Paul.

James Wan, director of Furious 7[63]

In January 2014, Time reported that Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, would be retired instead of killed, and that new scenes would be developed in order to allow the franchise to continue without him.[64] To recreate Walker's likeness, the filmmakers hired Peter Jackson's Weta Digital visual effects house (which had previously produced the imagery of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings franchise and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes franchise).[65] Initially, what Weta could do was severely constrained by the quality of the reference materials available for Walker's physical appearance. In April 2014, it was reported that Walker's brothers Caleb and Cody had been hired as stand-ins.[66] Their strong resemblance to their late brother meant the filmmakers could use scans of their bodies instead of recreating Walker's entire body from scratch. The final film showed Walker's face superimposed over the bodies of his brothers or actor John Brotherton in 350 visual effects shots. 260 used a computer-generated face, while 90 repurposed actual footage of Walker's face borrowed from outtakes or older footage.[65][67][68]

Music

[edit]

The musical score was composed by Brian Tyler, who scored the third, fourth and fifth installments of the series.[69] "There's an emotional component to Fast & Furious 7 that is unique", said Tyler about his experience scoring. "I think people are really going to be amazed by it."[70] A soundtrack album to the film was released by Atlantic Records on March 17, 2015,[71] while Tyler's score was released by Back Lot Music on March 31.

When discussing the creation of the score, Tyler explained: "It was a pleasure to collaborate with James [Wan] on Furious 7, as he wanted the emotion of the themes to be the primary focus. The music uses modern recording techniques, vintage modular synthesizers, mashed-up beats, drums and tweaked remix elements along with classic film scoring traditions including full orchestra, piano, voice and classical guitar. I am so proud of the movie, and I dedicate the score to the memory of Paul Walker and all the joy he brought."

In describing Tyler's score, Wan remarked, "Brian's amazing score gave this movie life. He did an incredible job of crafting an electrifying score for the bombastic action moments, one that is balanced by the beautiful and emotional themes of the characters that underline the heart of this movie."[72]

Songs featured in the film include: "Go Hard or Go Home" (Wiz Khalifa and Iggy Azalea),[73] "Ride Out" (Kid Ink, Tyga, Wale, YG & Rich Homie Quan),[74] "See You Again" (Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth), "My Angel" (Prince Royce), "Hamdulillah" (Narcy featuring Shadia Mansour), "Get Low" (Dillon Francis and DJ Snake), "Ay Vamos" (J Balvin featuring Nicky Jam and French Montana), "Tempest" (Deftones), "Meneo" (Fito Blanko) and "Payback" (Juicy J, Kevin Gates, Future and Sage the Gemini).

Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's "See You Again", which plays over the film's ending, and itself a tribute to Paul Walker, received both popular and critical acclaim. It was shortlisted for the Song of the Year for the BBC Music Awards and was nominated for Best Original Song at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards.[75] "See You Again" was the best selling-song of 2015 worldwide, with combined sales and track-equivalent streams of 20.9 million units according to IFPI.[76]

Release

[edit]

Theatrical

[edit]

The film originally scheduled to be released on July 11, 2014,[29] but the film was put on hold following Paul Walker's death in November 2013.[48] In October 2014, Universal revealed that the film was officially titled Furious 7. Leading up to the event, seven-second behind-the-scenes videos were released, titled "7 Seconds of 7".[77]

The film was next scheduled for release on April 10, 2015,[50] but it was announced that the film's release date had been brought forward a week to April 3.[78] The official announcement in change of date was made in July 2014.[78] Furious 7 premiered at the SXSW Film Festival at 12:07 a.m. at Austin's Paramount Theatre on March 16, 2015.[79] For its global premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on April 1, IMAX Corporation installed a new laser projection which was the first such installation in the U.S. and the second worldwide, following The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), which opened at Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto in December 2014.[80]

Home media

[edit]

Furious 7 was released on July 6, 2015, in the UK and was released via DVD and Blu-ray on September 15 in other countries. The Blu-ray edition features an all-new extended edition of 140 minutes long,[81] deleted scenes, stunts, behind-the-scenes, and the music video for Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's "See You Again". The Blu-ray and DVD versions include behind-the-scenes footage of the "Race Wars" scene including rapper Iggy Azalea and the making of the cars featured in the film.[82] In the U.S. and Canada, it sold roughly 2.5 million units on Blu-ray and DVD in its first week of release, making it the highest-selling home entertainment live-action film of 2015.[83] This record was later surpassed by Jurassic World (2015) the following month.[84] Furious 7's home video sales made a revenue of $66.4 million with 4.2 million copies sold, making it the seventh best-selling title of 2015.[85]

Reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

Furious 7 grossed $353 million in the United States and Canada and $1.163 billion in other countries, for a worldwide total of $1.516 billion, against a production budget of $190–250 million.[4][86] It was the third-highest-grossing film of 2015 and the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time.[87][88] Furious 7 was also the fastest film to reach the $1 billion mark at the time, doing so in 17 days.[89][90][91] It also became the first film to pass $1 million in 4DX admissions worldwide.[92] Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $354 million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it fifth on their list of "Most Valuable Blockbusters".[86]

Worldwide, Furious 7 was released across 810 IMAX theaters, which was the largest worldwide rollout in IMAX's history,[93][94] Its worldwide opening of $397.6 million was the second-highest opening of all time.[95][96] The film had an IMAX opening weekend total of $20.8 million.[97]

North America

[edit]

Predictions for the opening weekend of Furious 7 in the United States and Canada were continuously revised upwards, starting from $115 million to $150 million.[98][99] It opened on Friday, April 3, 2015, across 4,004 theaters, including 365 IMAX theaters, which made it the widest opening for the Fast and Furious film and Universal's widest opening release ever (until first surpassed by Jurassic World and Minions)[100][101][102] and earned $67.4 million, marking the tenth-biggest opening day.[103][104] The film's Friday gross included a $15.8 million late-night run (which began at 7 p.m.), from 3,069 theaters, marking Universal's highest late-night run, of which $2.2 million came from IMAX showings, marking the third largest IMAX preview gross ever.[105][106] Based on pure Friday gross (with the omission of revenues from Thursday shows), it earned $51.5 million, marking the fifth-biggest of all time.[107][108] Through Sunday, April 5, it had an opening weekend total of $147.1 million.[109] This opening broke the records for the highest weekend debuts in April and for the Easter Weekend, both of which were later overtaken by Avengers: Infinity War and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, respectively.[109][110] It earned an IMAX opening weekend total of $13.3 million, marking the second-biggest of all time for a 2D movie.[111][112] Premium large format comprised 8% ($11.5 million) of the total opening gross from 400 PLF screens, which is the biggest 2D PLF opening.[113]

In its second weekend, the film expanded to 4,022 theaters, thereby breaking its own record of being the widest Universal Pictures release ever, and earned an estimated $59.6 million, declining by 60%, which is the third best second weekend holdover for a pre-summer film release.[114][115] It became the highest-grossing film in the Fast & Furious franchise, doing so only in ten days (the previous record which was held by Fast & Furious 6 took fifteen weeks to reach its entire lifetime gross of $238.67 million).[114][116] It also set the record for the biggest second-weekend April gross.[117]

Other territories

[edit]

Furious 7 opened on April 1, 2015, in 12 countries, earning $16.9 million (including previews from 22 countries).[118] It opened in 33 more countries on April 2, for a total of 45 countries, earning $43 million from 8,407 screens, marking Universal Pictures overseas' highest-grossing Thursday ever, and for a two-day total of $60 million.[119] It added 20 more countries on April 3, earning $59.2 million from 9,935 screens in 63 countries, for a three-day total of $120.6 million.[120][121] On April 5, it earned a 4-day opening weekend total of $250.4 million from 10,683 screens in 64 countries, which is the fourth-highest international opening ever, in all which it reached first place at the box office.[97][111][122][123] It earned an IMAX opening weekend total of $7.5 million from 175 IMAX screens, breaking the record for the biggest April IMAX gross, previously held by Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) ($6.43 million).[97] It set opening weekend records in 29 countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Malaysia, Mexico, Middle East, Romania, Taiwan, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam.[97][122] In its second weekend, it held the top spot and fell gradually by 20.4% to $198.7 million (including China's opening day gross) from 18,374 screens in 66 territories as a result of minor competition, and remaining at number one in all 63 territories where it was released the previous week. It added three new countries in its second weekend; China, Russia and Poland.[124] The film earned $167.9 million in its third weekend, which topped the box office outside of North America for three consecutive weekends.[125]

The film was a massive box office hit in China. It opened there on April 12 and set an all-time midnight run record with $8.05 million[124][2] and an opening day record with $68.8 million.[124][126] Its opening day included a record-breaking $5 million from IMAX run (also breaking Transformers: Age of Extinction's (2014) former record of $3.4 million).[124] Through its opening week (April 12–19), it earned $245.9 million.[125][127] For the weekend alone, it took in $88.7 million from 5,454 screens (Friday to Sunday) and $182.4 million (Monday to Sunday) at the Chinese box office. It grossed CN¥1 billion in five days—the fastest time in which that has been achieved—and soon became the highest-grossing foreign film ever in China.[125][127][128] In 15 days, its gross in China surpassed those in Canada and the United States[129] and became the first film in China to make more than 2 billion renminbi.[130] Its success has been credited to China Film Group Corporation, the state-owned film distributor, which had invested considerably in the film, reportedly taking a 10% stake.[131] In Latin America, it became the second highest-grossing film ($200 million), the first time Universal has reached the milestone and the second film in history to earn more than $200 million after The Avengers (2012).[132] In total earnings, the largest countries outside the U.S. and Canada are China ($391.2 million), the United Kingdom ($60 million), Mexico ($51.7 million), Brazil ($46.6 million), Germany ($42.8 million) and India ($24 million).[1][133][134] It grossed a total of $39 million in IMAX ticket sales in China, the biggest ever in the market.[135]

Critical response

[edit]

Furious 7 received positive reviews from critics for its poignant tribute to Walker.[136] The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 82% with an average score of 7.70/10, based on 279 reviews, the highest-rated film in the franchise to date. The website's critical consensus reads, "Serving up a fresh round of over-the-top thrills while adding unexpected dramatic heft, Furious 7 keeps the franchise moving in more ways than one."[137] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 67 out of 100 based on 50 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". It is the highest-rated Fast & Furious film on both websites.[138] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[139]

The film received highly positive reviews upon its secret screening at the South by Southwest film festival on March 16, 2015. Ramin Setoodeh of Variety noted that fans began lining up outside four hours before the film was scheduled to start. The film closed with a tribute to Walker, which left many in the theater "holding back tears".[140] Wesley Morris wrote, "Who would have thought that a series addicted to the high of movement could also summon a solemnity that leaves you moved?"[141] A. O. Scott of The New York Times said, "Furious 7 extends its predecessors' inclusive, stereotype-resistant ethic. Compared to almost any other large-scale, big-studio enterprise, the Furious brand practices a slick, no-big-deal multiculturalism, and nods to both feminism and domestic traditionalism."[142] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter criticized the film however, describing it as "stupidly diverting", saying the running time was "overinflated"; he compared watching the film to a morbid game, in addition to criticizing the screenplay.[143]

Accolades

[edit]
Accolades received by Furious 7
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
African-American Film Critics Association Awards February 10, 2016 Best Song Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth for "See You Again" Won [144]
Billboard Music Awards May 22, 2016 Top Soundtrack Furious 7 Nominated [145]
Black Reel Awards February 18, 2016 Best Original or Adapted Song Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth for "See You Again" Won [146]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards January 17, 2016 Best Action Movie Furious 7 Nominated [147]
Best Song "See You Again" Won
ETC Bollywood Business Awards January 16, 2016 Most Successful Foreign Film Furious 7 Won [148]
Georgia Film Critics Association Awards January 8, 2016 Best Original Song DJ Frank E, Andrew Cedar, Charlie Puth, and Wiz Khalifa for "See You Again" Won [149]
Golden Globe Awards January 10, 2016 Best Original Song Justin Franks, Andrew Cedar, Charlie Puth, and Wiz Khalifa for "See You Again" Nominated [150]
Golden Trailer Awards May 6, 2015 Best of Show "Family" (AV Squad) Won [151]
[152]
Best Action "Family" (AV Squad) Won
Best Music "Drop Teaser" (AV Squad) Nominated
GTA 16 & Rentrak Best Opening Weekend Award Furious 7 Won
Best Sound Editing "Drop Teaser" (AV Squad) Nominated
Best Action TV Spot "Fast" (AV Squad) Won
Best Music TV Spot "Fast" (AV Squad) Nominated
Grammy Awards February 15, 2016 Best Song Written for Visual Media Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth for "See You Again" Nominated [153]
Guild of Music Supervisors Awards January 21, 2016 Best Song Written and/or Recorded Created for a Film DJ Frank E, Charlie Puth, Wiz Khalifa, and Andrew Cedar for "See You Again" Won [154]
[155]
Hollywood Film Awards November 1, 2015 Hollywood Blockbuster Award Furious 7 Won [156]
Hollywood Song Award Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth for "See You Again" Won
Hollywood Music in Media Awards November 11, 2015 Best Original Song in a Feature Film Justin Franks, Andrew Cedar, Charlie Puth, and Wiz Khalifa for "See You Again" Won [157]
[158]
Houston Film Critics Society Awards January 9, 2016 Best Original Song "See You Again" Nominated [159]
[160]
Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards February 20, 2016 Best Contemporary Make-Up in a Feature-Length Motion Picture James MacKinnon, Autumn Butler, and Roxy D'Alonzo Won [161]
Best Contemporary Hair Styling in a Feature-Length Motion Picture Linda D. Flowers, Jennifer Santiago, and Lisa Ann Wilson Nominated
MTV Movie Awards April 10, 2016 Best Action Performance Vin Diesel Nominated [162]
Ensemble Cast Furious 7 Nominated
People's Choice Awards January 6, 2016 Favorite Movie Furious 7 Won [163]
Favorite Action Movie Furious 7 Won
Favorite Action Movie Actor Vin Diesel Nominated
Favorite Action Movie Actress Michelle Rodriguez Nominated
Premios Juventud July 14, 2016 Favorite Movie Furious 7 Won [164]
Satellite Awards February 21, 2016 Best Original Song "See You Again" Nominated [165]
[166]
Saturn Awards June 22, 2016 Best Action or Adventure Film Furious 7 Won [167]
[168]
Best Editing Christian Wagner, Dylan Highsmith, Kirk Morri, and Leigh Folsom Boyd Nominated
Best DVD or Blu-ray Special Edition Release Furious 7 (Extended Edition) Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards January 30, 2016 Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture Furious 7 Nominated [169]
Screen Nation Film and Television Awards March 19, 2016 Female Performance in Film Nathalie Emmanuel[c] Won [170]
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards December 20, 2015 Best Song "See You Again" Runner-up [171]
[172]
Best Scene "Paul Walker farewell" Nominated
Teen Choice Awards August 16, 2015 Choice Movie: Action Furious 7 Won [173]
Choice Movie Actor: Action Vin Diesel Nominated
Paul Walker Won
Choice Movie Actress: Action Michelle Rodriguez Nominated
Jordana Brewster Nominated
Choice Movie: Villain Jason Statham Nominated
Choice Movie: Chemistry Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Dwayne Johnson, and Ludacris Nominated
Choice Music: Song from a Movie or TV Show Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth for "See You Again" Won
Visual Effects Society Awards February 2, 2016 Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature Mike Wassel, Karen Murphy, Martin Hill, Kevin McIlwain, and Dan Sudick Nominated [174]

Sequel

[edit]

The Fate of the Furious (2017) serves as the start of a next trilogy of films that includes F9 (2021) and Fast X (2023).[175] An eleventh and final mainline film, Fast XI (2026), is in production.[176]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Furious 7 is a 2015 American action film directed by James Wan, serving as the seventh installment in the Fast & Furious franchise. The story centers on Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew, who are targeted for revenge by Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), the brother of the antagonist from the previous film, after Shaw's sibling is left comatose following a confrontation. Featuring returning stars including Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner in his final live-action appearance, Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs, Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz, and Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto, the film blends high-octane car chases, heists, and family themes central to the series. Released theatrically on April 3, 2015, Furious 7 achieved massive commercial success, grossing $353 million in the United States and Canada and $1.163 billion internationally for a worldwide total of $1.516 billion, making it the highest-grossing entry in the franchise at the time. Production on Furious 7 began in 2013 under original director , who departed after six films in the series due to scheduling conflicts, leading Wan—known for horror films like —to step in as director. Filming was significantly disrupted on November 30, 2013, when died in a single-car crash in , at age 40, after approximately 60% of his scenes had been completed. halted production indefinitely to reassess the project, ultimately deciding to proceed by rewriting the script to provide closure for Walker's character, . To finish the remaining footage, artists from Weta Digital created over 350 shots using a combination of archived material, CGI face replacement on Walker's brothers Caleb and Cody as body doubles, and motion-capture techniques, ensuring a seamless integration that honored Walker's legacy. The release was postponed from its initial July 2014 date to allow for these extensive efforts. The film's narrative expands the franchise's scope with globe-trotting action set in locations including , , and the , involving the crew in a mission to secure a surveillance program known as from terrorist threats while evading Shaw's relentless pursuit. Key sequences include a daring parachute jump with sports cars onto a mountain road and a skyscraper-to-skyscraper transfer using a cable, showcasing the series' signature blend of practical stunts and . Furious 7 received praise for elevating the emotional stakes of the franchise, particularly through its poignant handling of loss, earning an 81% approval rating from critics on who highlighted Wan's direction, the adrenaline-fueled set pieces, and the heartfelt tribute to Walker. The film's ending features a montage set to "See You Again" by featuring , composed as a dedication to Walker and emphasizing the franchise's "" motif, which resonated deeply with audiences. The song topped the for 12 weeks, won an Video Music Award for Best Song from a , and amassed billions of views, amplifying Furious 7's cultural impact as a bittersweet milestone in the series. Its box office dominance and emotional resonance solidified the film's place as a pivotal chapter, influencing subsequent entries by deepening the focus on legacy and ensemble dynamics.

Narrative and Characters

Plot

Following the events of the previous installments, and his crew—, Roman Pearce, Parker, and Letty Ortiz—have returned to civilian lives after thwarting international criminal Owen Shaw. However, Deckard Shaw, Owen's vengeful older brother and a rogue former British special forces operative, emerges as the primary , targeting the team for , including for the presumed death of years earlier in , which is later revealed to be Deckard's doing through a flashback. Shaw's campaign begins with a brutal ambush on DSS agent Luke Hobbs, leaving him severely injured and hospitalized, followed by the destruction of Dom's home via a bomb-laden package, forcing Dom to prioritize protecting his surrogate family above all else. A shadowy operative, Mr. Nobody, recruits Dom and the crew for a high-stakes mission: rescuing British tech expert Ramsey, who has developed "," a hacking program capable of accessing any digital device worldwide to track individuals in real time, from Abu Dhabi-based terrorist Mose Jakande. In exchange, Mr. Nobody offers advanced resources to neutralize Shaw. Motivated by loyalty to his "" and a desire to end the threat, Dom assembles the team, including the reluctant , who is increasingly drawn toward a domestic life with Mia Toretto and their young son Jack. Their first operation unfolds in the , where the crew executes a audacious aerial —parachuting armored cars onto a moving —to extract Ramsey from Jakande's forces, though Shaw intervenes by attacking the team, escalating the global pursuit. The team's subsequent efforts take them to Abu Dhabi, where they chase the supercar containing the remaining drive through the towering in a perilous multi-building leap, retrieving the device amid intense gunfire and crashes. Returning to , conflicts intensify as Shaw continues his pursuit while Jakande deploys drone strikes to seize Ramsey and the program for worldwide domination. Brian's internal struggle peaks during a low point, as he communicates with Mia about his family priorities, underscoring his shift from adrenaline-fueled missions to paternal responsibilities. In the climactic showdown across streets and landmarks, the crew divides to counter both threats: Hobbs, having broken out of the hospital, aids the with heavy weaponry; Roman and defend Ramsey as she activates to locate Shaw; and Letty confronts her past while battling Jakande's mercenaries. Dom engages Shaw in a brutal vehicular , ultimately burying him under a collapsing four-story after tethering their cars together. Simultaneously, commandeers a drone to destroy the in mid-air, preventing its catastrophic misuse and saving the from Jakande's . With victory secured, bids an emotional farewell to Dom and the crew, choosing to retire for his family's sake; the film closes with Dom watching drive away into a , reflecting on themes of brotherhood and legacy in a poignant sequence.

Cast

The cast of Furious 7 features a returning ensemble from the franchise, with actors reprising their established roles to continue the series' narrative arcs. Paul Walker's performance as was completed posthumously using his brothers as stand-ins and digital effects following the actor's death in November 2013.
ActorCharacterDescription
The team leader and patriarch of the crew.
A former cop who has transitioned into family life with the team.
Luke HobbsA agent who becomes an ally to the crew.
Deckard ShawThe primary antagonist driven by revenge against the team.
Letty OrtizDom's longtime partner, dealing with amnesia.
Roman PearceThe comic relief and loyal friend within the group.
Tej ParkerThe tech-savvy specialist for gadgets and vehicles.
Mia TorettoBrian's wife and mother to their son, representing family stability.
RamseyA skilled recruited for her expertise.
Mr. NobodyA mysterious government operative offering resources.
Mose JakandeA terrorist leader seeking to acquire .
Elena NevesHobbs' partner at the DSS.
KietA highly agile operative in the antagonist's team (notable cameo).
Sean BoswellAn American street racer connecting to The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (notable cameo).

Production

Development

Plans for the seventh installment of the Fast & Furious franchise were first publicly discussed in February 2012, when confirmed in an interview that production on the film would follow the completion of , though the studio had shifted away from filming two sequels back-to-back due to logistical challenges. officially greenlit the project as a direct sequel to , with Chris Morgan returning for his fifth script in the series, emphasizing the franchise's signature blend of high-stakes international heists and themes of loyalty and family. Justin Lin, who had directed the previous four films in the series, was initially attached to helm Furious 7 but departed in April 2013 due to scheduling conflicts, particularly his commitment to . Universal quickly pivoted, hiring Australian director later that month; Wan, best known for his horror-action hybrids like Insidious (2010) and (2013), was brought on to infuse the action spectacle with his distinctive visual tension and pacing. With having grossed over $788 million worldwide, Universal targeted a $200 million for Furious 7 to enhance its global scale and appeal, positioning it for a July 2014 release as announced at CinemaCon. The early script by Morgan introduced key elements such as the , an advanced surveillance program capable of tracking anyone via global networks, and centered the antagonist Deckard Shaw—brother of Owen Shaw from —as a vengeful operative whose pursuit of the team tied back to Han's death in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (). Paul Walker was set to reprise his role as Brian O'Conner alongside returning cast members , , and .

Filming

for Furious 7 began in early 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia, where scenes set in were filmed using practical sets to capture the film's extensive car action sequences. The production utilized 340 vehicles throughout the shoot, requiring close coordination with local authorities for road closures and logistical support in urban environments. For instance, downtown Atlanta saw scheduled street closures in late to accommodate key sequences. Filming progressed to in later that fall, where over 300 crew members set up at locations like Monarch Ski Area for mountain chase scenes, boosting the local economy through extended on-site presence. Additional took place in , , for the skyscraper sequences, leveraging the location's and a 30% rebate incentive offered by the emirate. The shooting schedule was set to wrap by the end of December 2013, following a brief break, with plans to resume immediately after in . By mid-December, approximately 60% of the film had been completed, including early team assembly scenes filmed in . Production halted indefinitely in December 2013 due to unforeseen circumstances related to Paul Walker's death.

Death of Paul Walker

Paul Walker, who portrayed Brian O'Conner in the Fast & Furious franchise, died on November 30, 2013, at the age of 40, in a single-vehicle crash in Valencia, California. He was a passenger in a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT driven by his friend and financial advisor, Roger Rodas, when the car veered off the road at high speed, struck a lamppost and a tree, and burst into flames near Hercules Street and Kelly Johnson Parkway. The incident occurred during a charity event for Walker's nonprofit organization, Reach Out Worldwide, following a break in filming for Furious 7. Investigations by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department determined that excessive speed—estimated at approximately 90 mph in a 45 mph zone—was the primary factor, though subsequent lawsuits by Walker's family alleged possible mechanical failures in the Porsche, including issues with the right rear suspension and driveshaft. Rodas, aged 38, also perished in the crash, and both men were pronounced dead at the scene due to traumatic injuries and thermal burns. The death prompted an immediate and profound reaction from the cast and crew of Furious 7, which was in active production at the time, with Walker having completed a significant portion of his scenes. suspended filming indefinitely on December 4, 2013, halting work on the set and issuing a statement expressing devastation over the loss. Co-star , who shared a close bond with Walker, publicly mourned him on two days after the crash, writing, "To live in the hearts we leave behind, is not to die," and later revealed he had flown to immediately upon hearing the news. Other cast members, including and , echoed the grief in statements, describing Walker as a brotherly figure whose passion for cars and defined him. Walker's role as was central to the emotional core of the series, representing themes of family and loyalty that resonated deeply with the cast and fans, amplifying the tragedy's impact on the production. The untimely death, occurring outside of work during a scheduled hiatus, left the team in collective mourning, with many expressing how Walker's absence shattered the familial dynamic that had sustained the franchise through six films. In tribute, Furious 7 was ultimately dedicated "For Paul" in the closing credits, featuring an emotional farewell scene for Brian O'Conner set to the song "See You Again," which honored Walker's legacy and provided closure for his character. This dedication transformed the film's narrative into a poignant send-off, reflecting the profound loss felt by everyone involved.

Stunts and Visual Effects

The action sequences in Furious 7 featured a blend of practical and to depict high-risk feats, including the film's opening sequence where modified cars equipped with parachutes were dropped from a aircraft flying at 12,000 feet over the desert. This involved five vehicles released in pairs, with skydivers equipped with cameras capturing the descent for authenticity; rehearsals lasted two weeks to perfect the parachute deployment at 5,000 feet. Another key stunt was the mid-film chase in , where the supercar was shown leaping between the glass skyscrapers of the complex, crashing through windows across multiple buildings before plummeting to the street below. Filmmakers utilized a combination of on-location shooting at the towers, practical wire work for the car's trajectory, and controlled crashes with replica vehicles to simulate the impacts. Overall, production destroyed 230 vehicles out of the 340 used across the film, with one sequence alone rendering 40 cars unusable through high-speed collisions and explosions. coordinator oversaw these sequences, emphasizing real , wire rigs for aerial maneuvers, and drone cinematography to capture dynamic angles while prioritizing performer safety; no major injuries occurred during principal work prior to Paul Walker's off-set death. Visual effects enhanced these practical elements, with companies including Weta Digital, MPC, and contributing hundreds of shots, including over 350 for Paul Walker's scenes, that integrated real crash footage with digital extensions for impossible actions like extended building leaps and seamless vehicle flights. For instance, Weta Digital focused on stunt drivers with environmental extensions, ensuring fluid transitions between live-action and CGI to heighten immersion in chase scenes. High-speed pursuits employed rigs for ground-level tracking and helicopter-mounted cameras for overhead views, amplifying the visceral feel of the action.

Redevelopment of Walker's Character

Following Paul Walker's death in November 2013, the screenwriters, led by Chris Morgan, undertook significant revisions to the script of Furious 7 to provide a respectful conclusion to his character, . The original third act had Brian grappling with an as a former cop turned racer, ultimately embracing a more outlaw lifestyle involving heists while balancing his growing family with Mia and their children. In the revised version, the narrative shifted to emphasize Brian's retirement from the high-stakes adventures, focusing instead on his commitment to family life, with added emotional farewell scenes set in to honor Walker's legacy without resurrecting or overextending the character. To complete the unfinished scenes, production resumed with reshoots from to 2014, utilizing Walker's brothers, and Cody Walker, as body doubles for approximately 350 shots. The brothers, who closely resemble Walker in build, were scanned and motion-captured to match his movements and timing, allowing them to for action sequences and close-ups where practical effects could be applied. Actor also served as an additional double for some sequences, ensuring continuity in Brian's physical presence during the reshoots. Weta Digital handled the integration, employing facial mapping and digital models derived from existing footage of Walker to seamlessly overlay his likeness onto the doubles. This technique involved relighting and animating the face to blend with practical performances, creating realistic appearances in key scenes without relying on full-body CGI. The additional work contributed to a increase of about $50 million, pushing the total production cost beyond $250 million, covered in part by an claim. The revised narrative provided poignant closure through Brian's final drive-off alongside Dom Toretto in identical blue cars, symbolizing the passing of the torch and Brian's departure from the to prioritize his . This sequence, filmed using a combination of the doubles and CGI, avoided any or forced continuation of the character, instead delivering a that resonated emotionally with audiences and the franchise's themes of .

Music

The score for Furious 7 was composed by , who returned for his fourth consecutive entry in the franchise following his work on (2009), (2011), and (2013). Tyler's score employs a robust orchestral palette augmented by electronic beats and percussion to propel the film's intense chase and action sequences, while incorporating more introspective, string-driven themes to underscore the narrative's emphasis on familial bonds and loss. Recorded with the , the original motion picture score album was released digitally on March 31, 2015, by Back Lot Music, comprising 28 tracks that blend high-energy motifs with subtle emotional cues. The Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, a separate compilation of contemporary hip-hop and rap tracks, was issued on March 17, 2015, through , serving as a musical companion that amplifies the film's adrenaline-fueled energy and heartfelt tributes. The opens with "Ride Out" by featuring Tyga, Wale, YG, and , which energizes the opening credits sequence and establishes the soundtrack's collaborative, streetwise vibe. Its centerpiece, "See You Again" by featuring , functions as a poignant dedication to the late , playing during the film's closing montage to evoke themes of brotherhood and farewell. This track, blending piano-driven melody with reflective lyrics, achieved massive commercial success, holding the number-one position on the for 12 consecutive weeks in 2015. The debuted at number one on the chart, accumulating 111,000 equivalent album units in its first week—a figure driven largely by the viral streaming and sales of "," marking the first time since 2005 that a movie topped both the album and singles charts simultaneously.

Release

Marketing and Promotion

The marketing campaign for Furious 7 was spearheaded by , with a strategic emphasis on honoring the late by positioning him prominently in promotional materials such as billboards and posters, fostering an emotional bond with the franchise's global fanbase of over 300 million followers. This approach addressed fan grief following Walker's 2013 death, incorporating subtle tributes like donations from home media sales to his charity, Reach Out Worldwide, and leveraging rotoscoped footage of Walker using his brothers as body doubles for new scenes. Universal executives noted the campaign's success in receiving high praise from advertising analysts for its sensitive handling of Walker's legacy while building anticipation around the film's themes of and high-stakes action. To maintain fan engagement amid production delays, Universal issued three pivotal announcements: halting filming after Walker's in December 2013, resuming in April 2014, and wrapping in July 2014. amplified these efforts through his personal posts, frequently invoking the franchise's mantra of "family" to pay to Walker and underscore the cast's real-life bonds, which resonated deeply with audiences during the promotional buildup. The trailer rollout began with the first teaser on November 1, 2014, unveiled at a live event titled "The Road to Furious 7" at , showcasing explosive action sequences to reignite excitement for the series. This was followed by a high-profile television spot on February 1, 2015, which highlighted daring stunts like cars leaping from skyscrapers and included understated nods to Walker's role, generating immediate buzz among viewers. The final theatrical trailer, released days later on February 4, 2015, intensified focus on the film's elaborate stunts and , further driving pre-release hype. Promotional partnerships targeted automotive and entertainment enthusiasts, including an extended collaboration with for custom television advertisements featuring vehicles from the film, produced in tandem with ad agency Doner. Oil joined forces with Universal for a ticket giveaway promotion tied to the film's release, while the Dubsmash video app integrated exclusive clips from Furious 7 to encourage . Additionally, the film sponsored the "Furious 7 300" NASCAR Xfinity Series race at , with cast member Chris "" Bridges driving the pace car to blend culture with the movie's adrenaline-fueled narrative. These tie-ins extended to merchandise and activations aimed at core fans, enhancing the campaign's reach through cross-media synergy. Global premiere events heightened visibility, starting with a world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin on March 16, 2015, followed by high-profile screenings in at the TCL Chinese Theatre on April 1, 2015, where cast members including shared emotional reflections on Walker. Further premieres took place in and , capitalizing on the film's international filming locations to draw local media and fans, with the Abu Dhabi event at Vox Cinemas emphasizing the production's on-site shoots at landmarks like the .

Theatrical

The global premiere of Furious 7 took place on April 1, 2015, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in , where debuted its new laser projection system for the screening. The event was marked by emotional tributes from the cast and crew to the late , with stars like visibly tearing up while dedicating the film to him during speeches. An earlier planned premiere in was canceled in February 2015 after Diesel prioritized the birth of his daughter. The film received a wide theatrical release in the United States on April 3, 2015, following an original planned date of July 11, 2014, which was postponed due to extensive reshoots necessitated by Walker's death in November 2013; a subsequent adjustment advanced the date from April 10. It was distributed by in both standard 2D and formats, with the latter marking IMAX's widest global day-and-date rollout at the time, spanning over 800 theaters worldwide. Internationally, Furious 7 rolled out simultaneously in dozens of markets starting April 1, including major territories in , , and the , while saw its release on April 12, 2015, on a record number of screens. In the United States, the Motion Picture Association of America rated Furious 7 PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action and violence, suggestive content, and brief strong language. The film's end credits include a dedication to Paul Walker, accompanied by the tribute song "See You Again," underscoring his lasting impact on the franchise.

Home Media

Furious 7 was first made available for digital download and purchase on June 27, 2015, in high definition formats, allowing early access to the extended edition ahead of physical media. This was followed by the release of Blu-ray, DVD, and 3D Blu-ray editions on September 15, 2015, in a combo pack that included both theatrical and extended versions of the film. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition arrived later on March 28, 2017, featuring enhanced visuals with HDR10 support for improved color depth and contrast. The home media offerings encompassed standard combo packs as well as limited collector's editions, which provided additional packaging and exclusive content such as behind-the-scenes featurettes on key stunts like the car chase and plane sequence. These editions also incorporated tributes to the late , including interviews with cast and crew reflecting on his contributions, alongside an extended cut with roughly 20 minutes of additional footage and several deleted scenes, such as alternate takes on character interactions. Sales performance was robust, with the film selling approximately 2.5 million units across Blu-ray, DVD, and digital formats in its first week, generating over $50 million in North American consumer spending and securing the top spot on national charts. It maintained strong momentum, topping the charts for multiple weeks and ranking among the year's best-selling titles with total U.S. revenue exceeding $66 million from more than 4 million units sold. The title remains accessible digitally for purchase or rental on platforms including and , while streaming rights have been held by NBCUniversal's Peacock service since September 2022.

Reception

Box Office

Furious 7 achieved significant commercial success, grossing $1,515 million worldwide against a of $190 million. This performance made it the third-highest-grossing film of 2015, trailing only and . It also became the highest-grossing installment in the franchise at the time, surpassing previous entries like . The film opened strongly in from April 3 to 5, 2015, earning $147.2 million, which set a record for the biggest April opening weekend. Internationally, it debuted with $245.1 million across 63 markets, contributing to a global opening of $392.3 million. In total, generated $353 million, representing about 23% of the worldwide total. Regionally, Furious 7 performed robustly in key international markets. In , where it released on April 12, the film earned $102 million in its opening weekend— the second-highest foreign opening at the time— and ultimately grossed nearly $391 million overall. It also saw strong results in the ($57 million), ($33 million), and ($47 million). The film's success was amplified by its high-octane action sequences and the emotional resonance of a tribute to , whose death during production drew widespread attention and audience sympathy.

Critical Response

Furious 7 received generally positive reviews from critics, who appreciated its blend of high-octane action and emotional depth following the death of . On , the film holds an approval rating of 81% based on 278 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Serving up a fresh round of over-the-top thrills while adding unexpected dramatic heft, Furious 7 keeps the franchise moving in more ways than one." On , it earned a score of 67 out of 100 based on 50 critics, signifying "generally favorable reviews." Audiences surveyed by awarded it an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. Much of the praise centered on the film's heartfelt tribute to Walker, which infused the series with uncharacteristic sincerity and . Critics lauded the high-energy stunts and the franchise's playful, self-aware embrace of its absurdity, with sequences like aerial car drops and chases standing out for their spectacle. of the highlighted the "sheer audacity of the car chases and battle sequences" alongside "genuinely touching moments," particularly the Walker tribute. in praised the "superior set pieces" that delivered "plenty of hotrod hijinks," calling it a "satisfying global game of cat-and-mouse." Justin Lowe of Variety described it as a "satisfying chapter in the movies' pre-eminent gearhead " with a "tactful, touching memorial" to Walker. Criticisms focused on the film's formulaic plot, which relied on familiar tropes of and , and its over-the-top action that often stretched believability to absurd lengths. Some reviewers pointed to uneven pacing, partly resulting from extensive reshoots after Walker's death, which occasionally disrupted narrative flow despite the overall polish.

Accolades

Furious 7 garnered numerous accolades following its release, with particular recognition in action, , and categories during 2015 and 2016 award seasons. The film and its soundtrack song "" by featuring were highlighted for their emotional impact and technical achievements, though it received no major Academy Award nominations. At the , Furious 7 won Best Musical Moment for "" and received nominations in several categories, including Movie of the Year and Best Action Performance for . These honors underscored the film's high-octane sequences and the poignant tribute to the late . The celebrated the cast's performances, awarding Choice Movie Actor to and , while received Choice Movie Villain for his role as Deckard Shaw. The ceremony emphasized the franchise's appeal to younger audiences through fan-voted categories focused on action and character dynamics. In music awards, "See You Again" won the Billboard Music Award for Top Streaming Song (Video) in 2015 and earned a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the in 2016. The track's success highlighted its role as an emotional centerpiece, blending hip-hop and pop elements in tribute to Walker. For technical accomplishments, the film received a Saturn Award for Best in 2016, recognizing the innovative digital work used to complete Paul Walker's scenes, though it did not secure major Oscar recognition in visual effects or other crafts.

Legacy

Franchise Continuation

Furious 7's monumental success, grossing over $1.5 billion worldwide, propelled the franchise into a new era of blockbuster dominance, with subsequent installments consistently achieving billion-dollar earnings. The direct sequel, (2017), marked a significant continuation under the direction of , who replaced and introduced as the cyber-terrorist antagonist , expanding the series' scope to include global heists and high-tech threats. The film grossed $1.236 billion at the , reinforcing the franchise's appeal through escalated action sequences and ensemble dynamics while honoring the emotional weight of Paul Walker's departure. Brian O'Conner's retirement in Furious 7 left a poignant void, with the character largely absent from active roles in later films but referenced through flashbacks and tributes to maintain narrative continuity. In F9 (2021), directed by , O'Conner's legacy appears via archival footage and family-oriented callbacks, emphasizing themes of brotherhood without resurrecting the character physically. By 2025, announced the potential return of O'Conner in the franchise finale, : Part 2 (slated for April 2027 release), utilizing CGI and Walker's brothers as stand-ins to facilitate a respectful closure, amid discussions of how to integrate the character sensitively. The film's impact extended the series' trajectory toward expansive storytelling, spawning the spin-off (2019), which paired and in a standalone adventure grossing $760 million and exploring solo arcs within the . Post-Furious 7, production evolved with rotating directors—including Lin's return for F9 and for (2023)—to inject fresh perspectives, while budgets escalated to $200 million or more per film, enabling larger-scale spectacles like international locales and advanced . In 2025, Diesel confirmed the finale's setting, aiming to revisit the franchise's street-racing roots for a conclusive chapter that ties together the ensemble's arcs. As of November 2025, Diesel announced that filming for : Part 2 has begun.

Cultural Impact

Furious 7 left a profound mark on through its heartfelt tribute to , whose untimely death during production transformed the film into a global symbol of loss and remembrance. The soundtrack's lead single, "See You Again" by featuring , served as the emotional centerpiece of this tribute, amassing over 6.8 billion views on by 2025 and becoming one of the platform's most-watched videos ever. This song not only topped charts worldwide but also inspired countless fan-created memorials, from viral tribute videos to public gatherings honoring Walker, fostering a sense of shared grief that extended beyond the franchise's core audience. The film's reinforcement of the Fast & Furious series' "family" mantra resonated deeply with viewers, elevating themes of loyalty and brotherhood to iconic status within action cinema. This emotional core, amplified by the real-life loss of Walker, contributed to the movie earning an A grade from audiences, the highest in the franchise and reflecting unparalleled fan engagement. Media analyses have credited Furious 7 with solidifying the ensemble-driven narrative as a blueprint for modern blockbusters, influencing subsequent films to prioritize relational dynamics over individual heroics in high-stakes action stories. In broader pop culture, Furious 7 spawned numerous references and parodies, embedding its elements into everyday humor and consumer trends. The film was lampooned in 's Season 14 episode "A Lot Going on Upstairs," where characters mock Vin Diesel's stoic delivery and the franchise's over-the-top vehicular antics. Iconic vehicles like Dominic Toretto's 1970 became staples in memes, often symbolizing unyielding determination, while inspiring a surge in merchandise from apparel to scale models that celebrate the film's adrenaline-fueled aesthetic. Looking back in 2025, as the franchise approaches its announced finale with Fast X: Part Two set for 2027, Furious 7 is frequently hailed as the series' emotional zenith, marking a pivotal shift toward diverse in tentpole films. Its ensemble, featuring prominent Black, Latinx, and Asian actors, drew a 75% non-white domestically and demonstrated the commercial viability of inclusive representation, paving the way for Hollywood's broader embrace of multicultural leads in action blockbusters. This legacy underscores the film's role in evolving genre conventions to reflect global demographics.

References

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