Fast and Furious 7

[GeneChing]

Tony Jaa and Ronda Rousey. Looks like I'm going to have to watch the next installment. :cool:

Asian Star Tony Jaa Joins 'Fast and Furious 7' (Exclusive) (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/fast-furious-7-tony-jaa-598052)
3:51 PM PDT 8/23/2013 by Borys Kit

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/thumbnail_570x321/2013/08/tony_jaa_a_l.jpg
The movie will be Jaa's English-language debut as well as his big studio debut.

Tony Jaa is going Hollywood.

Jaa, the Thai action star best known for his Ong Bak movies, is joining the heavy-duty cast of Fast and Furious 7, Universal’s newest installment of the hit franchise series.

Fast 7 already has Jason Statham as the villain, one of several new additions to a series that stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. Ronda Rousey also is in talks to come in for a cameo.

The script is still being being written by longtime franchise player Chris Morgan so details are sketchy and Jaa’s part in the international action pic remains unknown.

Jaa is a stuntman-turned-actor who spent his youth being an elephant herder. He also spent his youth watching martial arts movies and decided to follow in the footsteps of heroes Jackie Chan and Jet Li. He made three Ong Bak films, which were global hits, and is considered a symbol of national pride in his home country.

Fast 7 will his English-language debut as well as his first studio picture.

"I have been a big fan of the Fast and Furious franchise," said Jaa via email from Thailand. "The films are fast paced, fun and keep the audience involved. There is a great mix of humor and action, something I really appreciate. There is no better film to be involved in for a first U.S. studio production."

When asked if he was looking forward to going mano-a-mano with Diesel or Dwayne Johnson and, more importantly, who would win in a fight, Jaa responded, "Having a chance to work with Vin Diesel and The Rock already makes me a winner."

James Wan, off the success of The Conjuring, is directing the movie, which will start shooting in September on an accelerated schedule to meet a July 11, 2014 release date.

Jaa is repped by Gersh, manager Mike Selby and attorney George Hayum.



To catch up (or at least, check in with the last installment): FAST AND FURIOUS 6: A Sexquel with Conviction (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1097)

[doug maverick]

i really love the way they turned this series around the last two were freaking amazing.

[GeneChing]

If they had secured Denzel, this would have jumped track to a whole other level.

Kurt Russell Eyes Part in ‘Fast 7′ (EXCLUSIVE) (http://variety.com/2013/film/news/kurt-russell-fast-7-1200585886/)
August 30, 2013 | 12:44PM PT
James Wan is directing upcoming sequel
Justin Kroll
Film Reporter @krolljvar

After bringing out a fresh face in UFC star Ronda Rousey to join the cast of “Fast & Furious 7,” Universal has moved onto veteran actor to join its acting ranks with Kurt Russell in negotiations to join the next installment.

No description on who Russell would be playing, but sources say it is the role that Uni originally offered to Denzel Washington — clearly showing its importance to the films story.

“Fast & Furious 7″ brings back most of its talent from the franchise, including Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, producer Neal H. Moritz and writer Chris Morgan with James Wan coming on as director.

Moritz and Diesel return as producers.

No plot details have been unveiled yet, except that the film will return to Los Angeles after the previous five films were set in other locations. Co-President of Production Jeff Kirschenbaum and Creative Executive Jay Polidoro will oversee the project on behalf of Universal.

This May’s “Fast & Furious 6″ is the highest grossing film for Universal, having made more than $750 million at the worldwide box office.

The CAA-repped Russell has taken it easy on how what roles he has taken in recent years with his last major film being Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof.”

[GeneChing]

This strikes me as very Thai. I'm not sure why.


Tony Jaa must get permission before going Hollywood (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/367987/tony-jaa-must-get-permission-before-going-hollywood)
Published: 4 Sep 2013 at 17.45


Thai action superstar Tatchakorn "Tony Jaa" Yeerum is in conflict with his boss in Thailand and must ask his permission to take part in the cast of Hollywood's "Fast and Furious 7".

Somsak "Sia Jiang" Techaratanaprasert, president of Sahamongkol Film International (Mongkol Film), a leading movie company in Thailand, together with renowned film directors and producers Panna Rittikrai and Prachya Pinkaew held a press conference on Tuesday to explain Tony Jaa's situation.

Sia Jiang told reporters that he had previously given permission to Tony Jaa to appear in foreign films but the 37-year-old actor sent a notice to him saying he was no longer under contract with Mongkol Film.

"I admit that I am happy that Tony Jaa will appear in a foreign film, but he must get the foreign agency to contact me and get my consent first," Sia Jiang said. "I'm not hoping to get a percentage of his pay but this must be done correctly and I'll send a notice to the foreign agency."

He said Tony Jaa, who has earned international fame with his stunt-filled and action packed series of Ong Bak movies, had just signed a 10-year contract with Mongkol Film.

"If Tony Jaa doesn't receive my consent and still plays in the foreign film, he'll definitely face a lawsuit," he said.

Mr Prachya said the company backed Tony Jaa to go Hollywood and nobody has any problem with him. But the problem emerged when Tony Jaa breached his contract.

Mr Panna said he had tried to contact Tony Jaa but he had refused to answer his calls.

The YouTube video above is a teaser of Tony Jaa's latest action movie called Tom Yum Goong 2.

Meanwhile, Tony Jaa told reporters in another interview that Sia Jiang is a nice person and they have been working together as usual.

The actor said he has been working in an honest and transparent manner.

The script for "Fast and Furious 7" is still being written and Tony Jaa's role has not been finalised, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

"I have been a big fan of the Fast and Furious franchise," Tony Jaa said.

"The films are fast-paced, fun and keep the audience involved. There is a great mix of humour and action, something I really appreciate."

James Wan, who had a recent success with "The Conjuring", is directing the new Fast and Furious movie, which will start shooting in September to meet a July 11, 2014, release date.

The Fast and Furious series has earned US$2.34 billion at the worldwide box office through Aug 1, making it Universal Studios' biggest franchise of all time.

[doug maverick]

according to his fb post and pics, he is in atlanta on set.

[GeneChing]

F7 Combat Training (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152034948923313&set=vb.89562268312&type=2&theater)

[GeneChing]

Tycoon ‘Furious’ over Thai star Tony Jaa’s defection (http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/columns-and-blogs/asia-pacific-roundabout/e3i57b800e8c8a43d9626ed77cbf20fd8ca)
Oct 14, 2013
-By Thomas Schmid

A real-life drama worthy of a movie in its own right recently unfolded in Thailand when Somsak Techaratanaprasert, owner of Sahamongkol Film, one of the country’s largest studios and film distributors, threatened homegrown martial-arts star Tony Jaa with legal action due to alleged breach of contract. Jaa, whose real name is Panom Yeerum, is rumored to appear in a major role in the forthcoming seventh installment of popular Hollywood movie franchise Fast & Furious. However, the actor is supposedly still under contract with Sahamongkol Film and therefore “not allowed to star in any foreign film without Mr. Somsak’s approval,” film director Prachya Pinkaew told local daily newspaper Khao Sod in an interview.

Jaa shot to fame with the Prachya-directed action comedy Ong Bak and the subsequent flick Tom Yam Koong, both of which were produced by Sahamongkol Film and spawned sequels. Originally, the actor allegedly told Somsak he had been hired to appear in a foreign TV commercial. But Somsak claimed that only a few days later he received a letter from the action star’s lawyer, informing him that his client now unilaterally considered his contract with Sahamongkol Film as terminated.

Prachya told Khao Sod that Somsak was now “fed up with the action star” and would treat him as a contract violator. The director criticized the actor’s “pursuit of wealth after his rise to international recognition” and accused him of betraying the very people who helped him on the way to stardom. “We trained him in acting and had him study English. But we are now at the point where he earns more than his director,” Prachya told the newspaper.

Meanwhile, the actor announced through his lawyer that he had terminated the contract with Sahamongkol Film, because he considered it as “business slavery” due to its allegedly overly restrictive terms and conditions. Although both parties’ lawyers are currently discussing the issue, Somsak has reportedly also threatened to sue the producers of Fast & Furious 7 if it should turn out that they indeed are going to feature Jaa in their film. Somsak smells Hollywood $$$ :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

As mentioned on our F&F6 thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?63556-Fast-and-Furious-6&p=1257845#post1257845), we had a false start for our FAST & FURIOUS 6 GRAND PRIZE (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/about/sweepstakes.php) Sweepstakes due to the untimely passing of Paul Walker. IN HONOR OF MR. WALKER, A PORTION OF PROCEEDS FROM THE BLU-RAY™, DVD AND DIGITAL RELEASES OF FAST & FURIOUS 6 WILL BE DONATED TO PAUL WALKER’S REACH OUT WORLDWIDE CHARITY ORGANIZATION. Contest ends 6:00 p.m. PST on 12/12/13. Good luck everyone!



Posted: 12:51 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013
"Fast and Furious 7" stars mourn Paul Walker (http://www.accessatlanta.com/weblogs/buzz/2013/dec/01/fast-and-furious-7-stars-mourn-paul-walker/)
By Jennifer Brett
"Fast & Furious 7" stars are mourning the loss of their friend and colleague Paul Walker.
"All my strength, love and faith to the Walker family during this heartbreaking time," star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said on his Twitter feed. "We find our strength.. in his light. Love you brother."
"I am so beyond heartbroken right now," director James Wan posted. "I can't process anything."
Walker died Saturday at age 40 following a fiery car crash in California. The "Fast & Furious" cast is a tight-knit bunch, as you can see from this photo of Vin Diesel and Ludacris having a good time the day after Thanksgiving and this photo of The Rock, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris enjoying time together on the set.
Saturday night, the cast came together offering messages of support. Soon after the sad news emerged, Atlanta rapper-actor Ludacris reposted the Thanksgiving image along with a poetic message in memory of his friend.
"Your humble spirit was felt from the start," the message began. "Wherever you blessed your presence you always left a mark, we were like brothers & our birthdays are only 1 day apart, now You will forever hold a place in all of our hearts. Paul Walker's legacy will live on forever. R.I.P."
Vin Diesel followed with some touching words of his own:
"Brother I will miss you very much. I am absolutely speechless. Heaven has gained a new Angel. Rest in Peace."
He posted the message on Instagram, along with a nice photo of the two actors together.
Filmmaker Peter Farrelly, whose project "Dumb an Dumber To" overlapped in metro Atlanta with "Fast & Furious 7," posted a heartfelt message on the Twitter account he and brother Bobby share: "Spent a long, fun day with Paul Walker a few years ago--one of the most gracious, down-to-earth guys I ever met out here. Pray for him."
"Fast and Furious" star Tyrese Gibson also asked for prayer in the anguished message he posted, along with a photo, on Instagram.
"My heart is hurting so bad," he wrote. "No one can make me believe this is real. Father God I pray that you send clarity over this cause I just don't understand. My heart hurts; it's broken. No one can convince me that this is real.... Prayer warriors please pray real hard for his only child, his daughter and family..."
Walker's daughter, Meadow, is 15.
Tony Jaa said on his Facebook page, "I am truly saddened over the sudden and unexpected passing of my friend and colleague Paul Walker," I would like to express my sincere condolences to his family. I will not tell you about Paul the actor, I will simply tell you that he was a very caring and sincere person towards friends and family. There are a great many people who will miss him. I knew him a relatively short time, but I am better for the experience. Go in peace my friend, you will not be forgotten. TJ"

[GeneChing]

Pushed back almost a year.

'Fast & Furious 7' Gets New Release Date (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/paul-walkers-death-fast-furious-667232)
7:01 PM PST 12/22/2013 by Rebecca Ford

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2013/06/2418_d012_00084rv2.jpg
Fast & Furious 6 Paul Walker Vin Diesel - H 2013
Universal Pictures
UPDATED: Star Vin Diesel posted on Facebook that the movie will be released April 10, 2015, following a delay in production due to Paul Walker's death; a source confirms the late actor will appear in the movie.

Fast & Furious 7 will be released April 10, 2015, star Vin Diesel announced Sunday night on Facebook.

Universal had put production on the film on hold indefinitely after star Paul Walker died in a fiery car crash on Nov. 30. It had originally been slotted to open July 11.

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 … "

An informed source confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Walker will appear in Fast & Furious 7, but further details were not immediately available.

The 40-year-old Walker, who was on Thanksgiving break from shooting Fast & Furious 7, was at a charity car show when he hopped into the passenger seat of a limited-edition red Porsche. His friend, Roger Rodas, 38, had been driving the car when it crashed on Rye Canyon Loop in Valencia. Both Walker and Rodas died in the crash. (Investigators have ruled out debris or mechanical failure as causes of the crash and are looking at speed alone.)

After two days of emergency meetings, Universal announced that the production of the seventh film would be put on hold so that the shocked and bereaved cast and crew could have time to mourn and the filmmakers could assess how the film would need to be changed.

Sources told THR that executives were trying to find a way to salvage footage already shot for Fast & Furious 7 instead of starting fresh. But experts say that either way, this tragic twist could lead to the largest insurance claim in Hollywood history.

Sources say writer Chris Morgan and director James Wan (who took over the franchise from Justin Lin) began crafting revisions to the script that Universal execs hope can retire Walker's character from the series using scenes already shot.

The seventh installment in the series was to star Walker, Diesel and many of the other franchise regulars including Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez and Dwayne Johnson.

Walker, known for playing ex-cop Brian O'Conner in the car action franchise -- sources say he made $8.5 million for Fast 6 and between $9 million and $13 million for Fast 7 plus backend -- had also starred in Varsity Blues, Pleasantville and Hours, which opened in theaters in limited release this past weekend.

Kim Masters contributed to this report.

E-mail: Rebecca.Ford@THR.com
Twitter: @Beccamford

[GeneChing]

"an intense karate moment together" srsly?



'Fast and Furious 7' News: Wrap Shot With 'The Most Badass Cat Ever,' Tony Jaa, Revealed By James Wan [VIDEO] (http://www.enstarz.com/articles/40445/20140630/fast-and-furious-7-news-wrap-shot-with-the-most-badass-cat-ever-tony-jaa-revealed-by-james-wan-video.htm)
By Aisha Reese, ENSTARS
on Jun 30, 2014 06:20 AM EDT

http://images.enstarz.com/data/images/full/32412/james-wan-and-tony-jaa-in-fast-and-furious-7.png?w=600
Director James Wan and actor Tony Jaa in a wrap shot from 'Fast and Furious 7' (Photo : James Wan/Instagram)

As the last leg of filming for Fast and Furious 7 is currently underway in Los Angeles, director James Wan revealed that Tony Jaa has wrapped filming his part in the movie on June 28.

The director posted an image with Jaa, in which both are seen sharing an intense karate moment together, on his Twitter account.

In his caption, Wan describes Jaa as a "badass cat" and the "sweetest human being:"

"And that's a wrap on Tony Jaa at 5am. The most badass cat ever. Who also happens to be the sweetest human being.#F7"

Jaa is one of the new cast members to join the F&F franchise with this instalment. Nothing is known about Jaa's character until now, as it is still shrouded in mystery.

Recently Wan also revealed that Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris had finished working on this instalment of the action franchise. Wan tweeted an image featuring him with Ludacris and Gibson, with all three of them holding up seven fingers.

"And that's a wrap on my boys @Ludacris and @Tyrese!! It has been an honor directing you guys. See u at the wrap party," he tweeted.

It seems like filming will finish soon. A recent casting call for extras seemed to suggest that filming should be through in July.

Last month it was announced that the film's wrap date was in July and some details about the final scene of the film were also revealed.

In a The Hollywood Reporter report dated May 21, the ending of the 13-week shoot was written about. The final scene will be shot in Bakersfield, California with 600 people in the shot. Seems like it will be a massive feat for director James Wan.

It seems like these extras might be being called out for this scene, which is why the casting category is pretty broad.

Fast and Furious 7 will take off from where Fast and Furious 6 left off. Wan took over the director's role from Justin Lin, who announced earlier in last year that he will step away from directing the franchise.

The cast for the seventh installment reprising their roles include Diesel, Luke Evans, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Jordana Brewster. UFC Womens Bantam weight champion Ronda Rousey and ONG Bak star Tony Jaa will also star in the film. I'm curious to see if Ronda stands our more in F&F7 or EX3 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?64337-Expendables-3).

[GeneChing]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq4_NLjA5nQ

[GeneChing]

a red carpet premiere for a trailer? :rolleyes:


11/01/2014 @ 3:55PM 10,467 views
'Furious 7' Trailer Gets Red-Carpet Premiere (http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2014/11/01/furious-7-teaser-trailer-gets-red-carpet-premiere/)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skpu5HaVkOc

Those who tuned in at noon today either on E! or to the film’s official Facebook page were probably expecting to actually see the teaser at noon as promised. What occurred instead was an hour of red-carpet material more like what you see for an actual movie premiere as opposed to a premiere for a 153-second teaser trailer. My memory may be faulty, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this for a trailer before. This is well beyond simply not premiering the trailer in a theater or tying it to a tangentially-related television show. This is milking it for all it’s worth, with the film’s stars (pretty much everyone all of the series vets of note save Dwayne Johnson, although perhaps I missed him) doing the red-carpet routine and fans on the sidelines being interviewed by soft-ball reporters. Again, this is not a film premiere, but rather than “premiere” for a trailer. Yes, (to be read in your best Patrick Stewart or John Hurt impression) I’ve frankly never seen anything like this before… not for a trailer. You may-well be seeing the future of tentpole marketing playing out before your eyes.

Putting aside the red-carpet hi-jinks for a moment, the trailer itself is a surprise. No, not that there is a new teaser for Fast & Furious 7 (now called Furious 7), but that we are getting one this soon. The last three Fast and Furious installments (Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Fast & Furious 6) all held onto their marketing cards, if I recall, until the Super Bowl, where they dropped crowd-pleasing spots that were among the most buzzed-about movie commercials to air during their respective years. Over the last few weeks, the Fast and Furious 7 Facebook page has been dropping brief videos and images leading up to today’s trailer debut. I think the manner in which this trailer debuted is yet another example of how the manner in which a trailer is revealed as much so-called “news” as the trailer itself. And today we have what amounts to a red-carpet premiere for a teaser trailer.

Now to be fair, a trailer itself isn’t news, it’s a piece of marketing designed to sell the film in question. In the proverbial olden days, you saw these trailers for the first time in a movie theater or perhaps a couple days early on Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood. The Internet eventually became the go-to place to see trailers early, albeit often in very slow-to-download and very small video files. Of course today pretty much every trailer drops online before it debuts in theaters, even in circumstances where I argue it would help a studio to keep said trailer offline for the opening weekend. And any time a trailer actually debuts in theaters or even debuts on television (think the 50 Shades of Grey teaser from back in July), it arguably counts as news.

Obviously Furious 7 (as it’s now called) has no incentive to stay offline as the two big films this weekend are Interstellar (Viacom VIAB -0.29% and Time Warner TWX -0.2% Inc.) and Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney DIS +0.27%), but there was a time when Universal (Comcast Corp.) would have held onto the trailer until November 14th and debuted it in theaters-only over the opening weekend of Dumb and Dumber To. But now not only is Universal dropping the trailer two weeks before their big holiday release, they are doing so in a way that is basically turning the trailer itself into a mini-event. Said trailer release events are now par for the course, but it is an interesting (and somewhat swift) change from times gone by.

Obviously Walt Disney would have preferred to actually launch their Avengers: Age of Ultron teaser trailer after this Tuesday’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as planned, but of course said trailer got leaked online a full week ahead of schedule. And then of course the trailer itself was “news” twice that day, once when the bootleg went live and again when the official version, along with a new poster, went live a few hours later. And of course last Tuesday’s ABC show ended with a new scene from the film along with a slightly different version of the same trailer, which made “news” all over again.

Thanks to the pervasiveness in which movie bloggers cover mainstream (and especially superhero-centric) movie news, what should have been one blog post for many news sites turned into three based on a single teaser trailer. Now I’m sure Disney would have preferred that the leak not happened on general principle, just as I’m sure they weren’t thrilled about rumors regarding Benedict Cumberbatch playing Dr. Strange dropping one day before their big “Phase 3″ announcement event the next day, but most publicity is good publicity so I can’t imagine they were too upset with the results. That’s of course what has caused this “teaser for the trailer” trend over the last four years, as the movie sites will post about the teaser for the trailer and the trailer itself. Two news bites for one piece of content, with both the writers and the studios winning out accordingly.

What’s also worth noting is that the brief videos that have been dropping from the Facebook page over the last few weeks would arguably suffice for teasing the hardcore fans. Obviously you need a teaser to play in theaters, but the brief stunt video and the images and the cast chit-chat is arguably all you would need to entice those who are remotely interesting in seeing the film. In a perfect world, all Universal would need was those videos and photos, with a few more added here and there between now and April 2015, and the above teaser trailer, which mostly spoils what I presume is the curtain-raiser action sequence and bits of plot we all probably guessed from the last film’s epilogue. Said trailer could be edited down into a Super Bowl spot and a general television commercial. More-so than any ongoing franchise save The Avengers or The Hunger Games, the Fast/Furious franchise barely needs any real marketing other than letting fans know when it drops and confirm that yes the late Paul Walker will be around for one last ride.

By the way, kudos to Universal for both not spoiling the various action sequences and stunt pay-offs like the last time. I gave them grief last year for revealing most of Furious 6‘s action pay-offs in the initial marketing, so I should note that they haven’t done that yet thus far. Another kudos for not being shy about presenting Paul Walker somewhat front-and-center in the marketing. Everyone knows what happened last December and trying to hide his appearance out of some kind of false “sensitivity” would be counterproductive from a marketing and frankly artistic standpoint. Anyone who wouldn’t see Furious 7 because of their discomfort in seeing Mr. Walker in his signature role one last time probably didn’t want to see the movie that much to begin with. Anyway, of note, a triple kudos to Universal for not letting this teaser get leaked a week early, as the consequences would have been a lot more severe then merely giving off another clip after the appointed television show. Okay, Furious 7, directed by James Wan and starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Lucas Black, Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, and Kurt Russell, opens on April 3, 2015. As always, we’ll see.

If you like what you’re reading, follow me on Forbes, follow @ScottMendelson on Twitter, and “like” The Ticket Booth on Facebook. Also, check out my archives for older work HERE.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vYQby_hDDU

[GeneChing]

the extended version...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yISKeT6sDOg

[GeneChing]

There's been so much talk about digitally reanimating Bruce Lee - it'll be interesting to see how well this comes off.


'Furious 7' and How Peter Jackson's Weta Created Digital Paul Walker (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/furious-7-how-peter-jacksons-784157?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_headlines&utm_campaign=THR+Headlines_2015-03-25+05%3A00%3A00_RGajewski&mobile_redirect=false)
5:00 AM PDT 3/25/2015 by Carolyn Giardina

Re-creating the franchise's late star joins a new front in Hollywood's decades-long effort to create a fully realistic CG actor.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/thumbnail_570x321/2015/03/furious_7_still_1.jpg
Scott Garfield
From left: Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Paul Walker and Ludacris in 'Furious 7.'

This story first appeared in the April 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

No actor is indispensable. That is the blunt lesson from the fact that Universal Pictures was able to complete its April 3 tentpole, Furious 7, following star Paul Walker's death in a November 2013 car accident about halfway through the shoot. Beyond saying that brothers Cody and Caleb stood in for Walker and that director James Wan culled footage of Walker from the earlier films, Universal declines to discuss which tricks were employed to breathe life into Walker's character. But sources say Peter Jackson's Weta Digital was asked to complete the sensitive and arduous task of reanimating Walker for Furious 7, and its cutting-edge work points toward a future where most actors can be re-created seam*lessly if needed. (The company declined to com*ment on its specific contributions.)

For years, filmmakers have developed increasingly sophisticated techniques for replacing missing actors. Robin Shenfield, CEO of London-headquartered The Mill, which led the Oscar-winning visual effects on 2000's Gladiator, explains how that film coped when Oliver Reed suffered a fatal heart attack during filming. Footage from outtakes was used to create a digital mask that was added to shots of a body double. "He also had dialogue, so we changed his mouth movement," says Shenfield. Producers of HBO's The Sopranos faced a similar issue in 2000 with the passing of Nancy Marchand, who played Tony Soprano's mother. "Basically it was 2D compositing," recalls Rick Wagonheim, who executive produced those effects. "The problem was some of the angles didn't really match as well as they could have."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/custom/Natalie/Furious_7_Walker_embed.jpg
Cody (left) and Caleb Walker stood in for their late brother Paul on 'Furious 7.'

Today, it's possible to create an actor entirely from digital composites. The Mill, for example, has completed a 90-second Johnny Walker ad featuring a CG Bruce Lee for agency BBH in China. "We created his entire face in CG and hand-animated that, using shots of the actor for reference," says Shenfield. He believes that a CG actor is an option, as long as artists can create his face convincingly. "The eyes require a lot of work," he says. "Keeping motion continuous in the musculature and the eyes is the key to making it look real."
Read more SXSW: Paul Walker Looms Large Over 'Furious 7' Premiere
Some movies now even create 3D scans of actors as production begins, so that they can make CG doubles for complicated stunt scenes. It's not known if that occurred on Furious 7, but it was done on Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Explains VFX supervisor Scott Squires: "If there's any inkling that you might need a scan, they scan the actor at the start of production. I've also heard of certain studios having actors scanned just as an archival thing." That way, 20 years from now, filmmakers would still have access to the likeness of that actor — dead or alive.

[GeneChing]

Fast & Furious 7 blocked in Thailand

http://www.filmbiz.asia/media/BAhbB1sHOgZmSSIvMjAxNS8wMy8yNy8wMC8wMS8zNC8xMzIvZm FzdF9mdXJpb3VzXzcuanBnBjoGRVRbCDoGcDoKdGh1bWJJIg01 MDB4MTAwMAY7BlQ?suffix=.jpg&sha=9bbe1a4f

By Stephen Cremin

Fri, 27 March 2015, 15:00 PM (HKT)
Policy/Legal News

Yesterday, the Civil Court of Thailand ordered that the domestic distribution of Fast & Furious 7 be halted until a lawsuit is settled between Sahamongkolfilm International Co Ltd สหมงคลฟิล์ม อินเตอร์เนชั่นแนล, Universal Pictures Inc, UIP (Thailand) ยูนิเวอร์แซล พิคเจอร์ส and actor Tony JAA จา ทัชชกร ยีรัมย์.

Sahamongkolfilm has demanded that the distribution of the film — co-starring Thai action star Jaa (pictured) — be stopped and that the defendants pay the Thai studio the sum of ฿1.60 billion (US$49.1 million), with 7.5% interest until payment is made.

The court made its decision after interviewing two employees of Sahamongkolfilm. According to Thai media, they were Akarapol KARASARANEE อัครพล อัครเศรณี, the son of company head Somsak TECHARATANAPRASERT สมศักดิ์ เตชะรัตนประเสริฐ, and Suwat APAIPAK สุวัตร อภัยภักดิ์, a member of its legal team.

Sahamongkolfilm's final film with Jaa was Tom Yum Goong 2 ต้มยำกุ้ง ２ (2013), which made only ฿58.6 million (US$1.80 million) in Bangkok and Chiang Mai on release in Oct 2013. The company claims that that ฿1.60 billion demand is based on their investment in the actor.

Jaa signed a ten year contract with Sahamongkolfilm in 2003, which it had the right to extend to twenty years. The company claim that Jaa willingly renewed the deal in July 2013 and that he is under contract until 2023. Jaa's side denies that the contract was renewed or that a new contract was initiated by the actor.

The action sequel was due to open in Thai cinemas on 1 April, eight days before Sahamongkolfilm releases The Legend of King Naresuan VI ตำนานสมเด็จพระนเรศวรมหาราช ภาค 6 ตอน อวสานหงสา, the final entry in Chatrichalerm YUKOL ชาตรีเฉลิม ยุคล's series of historical movies, which is expected to be the highest grossing local film of the year.

Yukol made a statement this morning asking that audiences not boycott his new film which he claimed is fully financed by a bank loan secured by his company, Prommitr Production Co Ltd พร้อมมิตรโปรดักชั่น, which recently declared bankruptcy. He clarified that only the second and third film in the series received government subsidy, which has since been repaid.

A press screening of Fast & Furious 7 scheduled for 31 March has been canceled.

The court will not begin its investigation until 15 June. The film will be blocked from Thai cinemas until the court makes its decision or until an agreement is reached outside the courts between Sahamongkolfilm and the defendants.

The next Jaa film to be released in Thailand is Skin Trade, on 23 April, directed by Ekachai UEKRONGTHAM เอกชัย เอื้อครองธรรม | 呂翼謀. There is no known lawsuit filed at this time against its producers. That film's producer, Bangkok-based Michael SELBY, is Jaa's current agent.



Alas, Tony Jaa. Thailand luv him. Who can forget the Tony-Jaa-Scandals (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?51594-Tony-Jaa-Scandals)?

[Jimbo]

Interestingly, none of the TV commercials for this film even show a hint of Tony Jaa being in it.

[GeneChing]

‘Furious 7′ Release Goes Ahead in Thailand After Injunction Overturned (http://variety.com/2015/film/asia/furious-7-release-goes-ahead-in-thailand-after-injunction-overturned-1201464920/)

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/tony-jaa-furious-7.jpg?w=670&h=377&crop=1
IMAGE COURTESY OF FRANCOIS DURAND/GETTY IMAGES)
APRIL 1, 2015 | 09:52PM PT
Patrick Frater
Asia Bureau Chief

Commercial screenings of “Furious 7” went ahead Wednesday (April 1) in Thailand after the overturn of a court injunction which had blocked the film’s release in the country.

On Thursday last week Shamongkolfilm International, one of Thailand’s major film producers and distributors called on Thai courts to halt the film’s release, arguing that local star Tony Jaa had breached his talent management contract by appearing in the movie. It claimed damages of $49 million and obtained an injunction halting the film’s release in Thailand ahead of a June court hearing.

However, on Monday a Bangkok Civil Court threw out the injunction, arguing that other interested parties would be damaged by the film’s non-release.

The movie, the seventh in the “Fast & Furious” action franchise, opens in North America tomorrow (April 3).
Jaa was star of several movies produced or distributed by Sahamongkol – including “Ong Bak” and “Tom Yum Goong” (aka “The Protector” in North America – while under a long term contract with Sahamongkol as his exclusive talent agent.

Jaa and Sahamonglol have been in dispute for the past two years, with Jaa insisting that the contract had expired, and Sahamongkol insisting that it had been renewed. The contractual dispute became public in 2013 when Jaa refused to do publicity for Sahamongkol’s “Tom Yum Goong 2” in which he starred. The film flopped badly, taking less than $2 million on its Thai release.

Despite the rupture with Sahamongkol and the unsettled dispute, Jaa took a supporting role in Baumgarten Management and Productions’ and SC International’s “Skin Trade”; and “Sha Po Lang 2: A Man Will Rise,” a big-budget Hong Kong action picture also starring Sammo Hung, from Hong Kong’s Bravos Pictures and Sun Entertainment Culture.

“Skin Trade,” which is directed by Thailand’s Ekachai Uekrongtham and features Dolph Lundgren, is set for release in North America by Magnolia Pictures and Magnet Releasing.

“SPL 2” is set for release in Thailand later in April.


I am disappointed here for two reasons:
#1. They knew they had a blockbuster, so no review screeners were offered (thus no official review on KungFuMagazine.com)
#2. No one here on the forum has reviewed this for us yet. I do want to see it for Tony and Ronda, but I won't get the chance for a while as my schedule is rather tight for the next few weeks.
:(

[Jimbo]

Hi, Gene.

I plan to see it, hopefully soon, and will give some comments/a mini-review of it once I have. Unless someone beats me to it. Then I'll still comment on it. :)

[Jimbo]

Well, I managed to see it. I found it quite entertaining. This is only the second of the Fast & Furious franchise I've seen, the other being Fast Five. This won't be an in-depth review. In keeping with 'martial media', I'll briefly describe some of the action and fights.

As a respectful send off for the late Paul Walker, I thought it was excellently done.

However, I can't help but wonder, if Furious 7 had remained a Justin Lin film, if it would have been a better movie than by James Wan. I strongly believe in 'suspension of disbelief' when it comes to movies, but this one requires you to take it to another level. The action scenes are *extremely* exaggerated, to the point that they make Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon look tame and believable in comparison. People take enormous (i.e., fatal) amounts of punishment with barely a mark on them, and seem more indestructible than movie monsters like Jason Voorhees. The number one 'monster' in Furious 7 being Jason Statham. And people and cars defy the laws of physics in cartoonish ways.

Tony Jaa and Ronda Rousey's parts are actually quite small, especially Ronda's. They each look good in their small roles, but Tony does not seem as exceptional as he should. Part of it is the shaky photography during the fights. Ronda does look imposing. I foresee a lot of potential for her onscreen in the coming years (I never saw the last Expendables).

IMO, Jason Statham is very good as the arch-villain. Even better than as a good guy. And he doesn't even need to be a big guy to do it. All the better.

Dwayne Johnson, as usual, has the best one-liners, something that's been missing from American action movies for too many years. I get the impression he may have improvised a lot of those one-liners on the spot.

I think a showdown between Vin Diesel and Jason Statham is sort of a dream match between two Hollywood onscreen tough guys. This is probably the clearest fight of the movie.

Otherwise, it's a good escapist movie. It's pretty long at over 2 hours, but doesn't seem to drag at any point.

[-N-]

This is only the second of the Fast & Furious franchise I've seen, the other being Fast Five.

You have to watch Tokyo Drift. It's a kung fu movie plot line, but with cars.

[Jimbo]

You have to watch Tokyo Drift. It's a kung fu movie plot line, but with cars.

Thanks. I'll have to check it out. From what I've heard, Tokyo Drift was actually out of order in the series, occurring after Fast Five.

[GeneChing]

What a haul.

Thanks for that first forum review Jimbo! Anyone else see this yet?


Box Office Milestone: 'Furious 7' Crosses $1 Billion (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-milestone-furious-7-789662)

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/675x380/2015/03/2431_TPI_00030R.jpg

by Rebecca Ford
4/17/2015 2:21pm PDT

In just 17 days, Furious 7 is crossing the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office.

It's a new record for the fastest climb to the major milestone. (The Avengers, Avatar and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 crossed $1 billion in 19 days.) Plus, the film is the first Universal project to make it to the $1 billion mark in its original run. (1993's Jurassic Park reached $1.044 billion after the 3D rerelease in 2013.)

Furious 7, directed by James Wan and starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Jason Statham and Ludacris, has propelled the Fast & Furious series past $3 billion worldwide ($3.392 billion).

“What started as a small film about the street racing sub-culture of East Los Angeles has become a global phenomenon with Furious 7 shattering records in so many territories around the globe,” said Duncan Clark, president, international distribution. “We’re thrilled to celebrate this accomplishment with our colleagues and distribution partners throughout the world, who have made these extraordinary results possible.”

Furious 7 has earned an estimated $735.2 million overseas in 17 days and an estimated $273.7 million in North America after 15 days. The film could go as high as $1.3 billion to $1.4 billion by the end of its run.

"We're incredibly proud to watch Fast & Furious take its place as the only original live-action franchise to reach these kinds of results at the box office," said Nick Carpou, president of domestic distribution. "Our cast, filmmakers and all of our Universal and Fast family deserve credit for working so hard to make Furious 7 a huge success, and we look forward to continuing to watch the film grow over the next few weeks."

The film's other records include the second-biggest worldwide opening of all time ($397.2 million) behind only Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and the highest-grossing domestic ($147.2 million) and international ($250 million) openings in Universal history.

[GeneChing]

I've been hearing some grumblings about this. Always bad when your story makes it to TMZ.

Furious 7
Stunt Crew Furious
We Got No Credit! (http://www.tmz.com/2015/04/22/furious-7-stunt-drivers-not-credited-ending-credits/)
4/22/2015 9:50 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
EXCLUSIVE

http://ll-media.tmz.com/2015/04/22/0422-furious-7-2.jpg

The Rock, Vin Diesel, and Paul Walker are all names you will see at the end of "Furious 7" ... problem is the people actually responsible for most of the adrenaline pumping action are irate because they were left out of the end credits.
Sources directly connected with production tell us, the 2nd unit crew was responsible for all the major action ... including the parachuting car scene and the mountain road chase.
We're told the stunt team members feel like they were "punched in the gut" when they realized 25 members of their team -- many of whom risked their lives -- were left out of the credits.
And get this ... Paul Walker's 2nd unit stunt double -- who was inside a bus as it fell off a cliff -- was uncredited.
We contacted Universal ... they told us they're looking into it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w7imxsoq3M

[Jimbo]

It is ridiculous that they didn't credit the stunt people. The whole movie is a series of physical and/or CGI stunts. Especially considering how long end credits are nowadays, they credit everyone and everything, including every animal and anyone/anything even remotely related to the movie. Not crediting the stunt people is just insane. Maybe the filmmakers wanted to give the impression that the stars did all their own stunts.

[-N-]

However, I can't help but wonder, if Furious 7 had remained a Justin Lin film, if it would have been a better movie than by James Wan. I strongly believe in 'suspension of disbelief' when it comes to movies, but this one requires you to take it to another level. The action scenes are *extremely* exaggerated, to the point that they make Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon look tame and believable in comparison.

[...]

Tony Jaa and Ronda Rousey's parts are actually quite small, especially Ronda's. They each look good in their small roles, but Tony does not seem as exceptional as he should.

Part of it is the shaky photography during the fights. Ronda does look imposing.

[...]

Otherwise, it's a good escapist movie. It's pretty long at over 2 hours, but doesn't seem to drag at any point.

Saw it today. Good entertainment. Way over the top action. Guns, hotties, flying cars, fights, cars, hacking, guns, fights, hotties, drones, missiles, flying cars, hacking, grenades, guns, helicopters, fights, Dolby Surround Sound... Go see it.

Didn't like the Rousey Rodriguez action that much. Kind of tame compared to the rest of the movie.

Rousey and Rodriguez reminded me a little of Benny the Jet and Jackie Chan in Dragons Forever. And Rousey had the same eye make-up as Urquidez :D

Tony Jaa, that guy can move.

Still liked Tokyo Drift best for story. Furious 7 is definately the winner for insane action.

[GeneChing]

Sahamongkol withdraws lawsuit against Tony Jaa (http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/07/07/sahamongkol-withdraws-lawsuit-against-tony-jaa)
By Coconuts Bangkok July 7, 2015 / 16:13 ICT

http://cdn1.coconutsmedia.com/field/image/tony_2.jpg

The president of Sahamongkol Film International announced today he will withdraw the lawsuit filed against Tony Jaa over his role in “Fast & Furious 7.”

Studio mogul Somsak Techaratanaprasert, aka "Sia Jiang," said today he has instructed his lawyers to end litigation against Tony Jaa by withdrawing the case from the Civil Court.

In Sept. 2013 the studio first announced it would sue Tony, claiming the action star was in breach of contract by taking the role in the international blockbuster just after renewing an exclusive, 10-year contract with the Sahamongkol. In response the star sought through his lawyers to be released from the contract.

At the time, the company demanded THB1.6 billion compensation plus 7.5 percent interest, alleging the action star ditched the project "Ai Noom Kangnam" in which the company had invested THB26 million.

The lawsuit almost put the brakes on the March opening of Fast 7 in Thailand.

Without disclosing anything further, Somsak said the matter would be put to rest and Sahamongkol would focus on making its own blockbuster industry in Thailand.

"I got work to do too!" Somsak said.

Somsak said today he will give Tony Jaa his freedom to follow his dreams without any baggage, adding he is an old man himself and has forgiven the action star, whom he used to love like a son.

Sounds like good plot material for him to get started on those non-Naresuan, non-Ong Bak, non-Tum Yum Gung blockbusters.

Somsak said he hasn’t been in touch with Tony since the split but told Thairath, “We don’t have any conflicts anymore.

I still haven't seen this movie. I guess I'm waiting for a VOD rent...or better yet, free.