Fast and Furious 7

[GeneChing]

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

Asian Star Tony Jaa Joins 'Fast and Furious 7' (Exclusive)
3:51 PM PDT 8/23/2013 by Borys Kit


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

[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)
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
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

[GeneChing]

Tycoon ‘Furious’ over Thai star Tony Jaa’s defection
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 $$$

[GeneChing]

As mentioned on our F&F6 thread, we had a false start for our FAST & FURIOUS 6 GRAND PRIZE 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
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
7:01 PM PST 12/22/2013 by Rebecca Ford


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]
By Aisha Reese, ENSTARS
on Jun 30, 2014 06:20 AM EDT


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.