Latest news with #BrianOConner
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Vin Diesel SLAMMED as he teases late Paul Walker 'returning' to Fast and Furious 11
Vin Diesel sparked outrage online after teasing that his Fast & Furious character Dom Toretto will 'reunite' with Brian O'Conner (played by the late Paul Walker) for the 11th and final film of the $7.4B-grossing franchise already scheduled to hit theaters in April 2027. The 57-year-old SAG Award nominee sported a tank top emblazoned with 'Fast X Part 2 Los Angeles Production 2025' while making the controversial announcement listing his three 'conditions' for Universal Pictures as he hit the stage at FuelFest in Pomona, CA last Saturday. 'First, is to bring the franchise back to LA!' Vin (born Mark Sinclair) said in fan footage of the event. 'The second thing was to return to the car culture, to the street racing! The third thing was reuniting Dom and Brian O'Conner.' It's worth noting that Diesel and his Fast & Furious co-star Tyrese Gibson were joined at FuelFest by Paul's mother Cheryl Walker and younger brother Cody Walker. Fans will recall how Furious 7 director James Wan hired Weta Digital to recreate Walker's face with CGI, which was superimposed over the bodies of three stand-ins - 37-year-old Cody, his 47-year-old brother Caleb, and lookalike John Brotherton. The 57-year-old SAG Award nominee sported a tank top emblazoned with 'Fast X Part 2 Los Angeles Production 2025' while making the controversial announcement listing his three 'conditions' for Universal Pictures as he hit the stage at FuelFest in Pomona, CA last Saturday The undercover LAPD detective-turned-street racer officially 'retired' at the closing of the 2015 seventh installment to have a quiet life with Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) and their son Jack (Kimsey twins). On the social media platform X, the reaction to the news troubled many fans including user @khaliltooshort who tweeted: 'Bringing back Paul Walker as a CGI character is as disgusting as bringing back Chadwick [Boseman] as Black Panther.' 'I watched them turn grief into a cash grab,' X user @sharon_riley35 blasted. 'And now they're dragging Paul Walker's legacy back like it's a prop.' X user @JasonDelgado78 tweeted: 'Let Paul Walker rest in peace instead of CGI-ing him into a crappy movie.' 'Let Paul Walker's character in the Fast series stay retired. He got a good send off, don't bring him back,' X user @HdRozay chimed in. 'Can't we just let this franchise go? It's way past its prime and it's only disrespectful to Paul Walker to continue to have Brian there,' X user @rainbow_astoria tweeted. '[I don't care] if it's Paul's brother playing him, it's still disrespectful and stretching out a franchise that should've ended like 10 years ago.' X user @She_DreadzMe wrote that if Paul Walker's family is 'cool with them resurrecting him via CGI' then: 'I can't be mad. I will never understand people being mad at creative choices that directors/writers make if the family's cool with it. Conversation should be over.' 'Looks like Paul Walker's brother will get another ride,' X user @adamzaynAZ predicted. Vin might be able to incorporate the same AI algorithm technology that directing duo Leo Scott and Ting Poo used to recreate the late Val Kilmer's voice from hours of archival footage for their 2021 Amazon documentary Val following his bout with throat cancer. 'I watched them turn grief into a cash grab,' X user @sharon_riley35 blasted. 'And now they're dragging Paul Walker's legacy back like it's a prop' 'Let Paul Walker's character in the Fast series stay retired. He got a good send off, don't bring him back,' X user @HdRozay chimed in X user @rainbow_astoria tweeted: '[I don't care] if it's Paul's brother playing him, it's still disrespectful and stretching out a franchise that should've ended like 10 years ago' The 26-year-old CAA Fashion Model wrote on June 15: 'Happy Father's Day to my guardian angel. Thank you for your love, guidance, and for truly being the most incredible dad and my best friend. I miss you every day, my sunshine. I love you' Aside from the 10 previous Fast & Furious films spanning 2001-2023, the blockbuster franchise also spawned spin-offs Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) as well as Netflix series Fast & Furious Spy Racers (2019-21). Two weeks ago, Paul's only child with babymama Rebecca Soteros - Meadow Walker - paid tribute to his memory on Father's Day. 'Happy Father's Day to my guardian angel,' the 26-year-old CAA Fashion Model - who's president of the Paul Walker Foundation - wrote on June 15. 'Thank you for your love, guidance, and for truly being the most incredible dad and my best friend. I miss you every day, my sunshine. I love you.' Meadow was only 15 when her famous father tragically died, age 40, in 2013 shortly after hopping into a Porsche Carrera GT with his pal Roger Rodas, who crashed into a concrete lamp and two trees in Valencia, CA. The Cali-born, Hawaiian-raised nepo-baby received $7.2M in her 2014 settlement from the Rodas estate, according to TMZ. And by 2017, Meadow and her grandfather Paul Walker Sr. settled a separate lawsuit against Porsche 'to the satisfaction of all involved' - according to the Los Angeles Times. Walker's cremated remains were buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills in a non-denominational ceremony.
Geek Culture
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
Vin Diesel To Reunite Dom & Late Paul Walker's Brian In 'Fast & Furious' Finale Film
Vin Diesel has stunned audiences with the announcement that Brian O'Conner, the character played by the late Paul Walker, will return to the Fast & Furious franchise for its upcoming finale, Fast X: Part 2 . Fast Five (2011) Announced at FuelFest 2025 in Los Angeles, the action movie star made a surprise appearance to inform fans that he was bringing the franchise back to LA, with the movie now returning to the series' street racing roots. These were just two of the three non-negotiables Diesel raised in discussions with Universal Pictures executives for the final instalment's tentative release window in April 2027. Diesel then cryptically remarked that the final condition was the reunion between Brian O'Conner and his character, Dominic Toretto, drawing raucous cheers from the audience. Despite this, the announcement was met with mixed reactions from fans, with some excited for the return of the fan-favourite character, while others denounced the return of O'Conner given Walker's poignant send-off back in 2015's Furious 7 due to the actor's untimely demise in 2013. Furious 7 (2015) With no further news on how O'Conner could be returning to the silver screen, the feasibility of his resurrection remains to be seen. Furious 7 utilised CGI and Walker's brothers, Caleb and Cody, as physical stand-ins, while 2023's Fast X used actual footage of Walker as O'Conner during a flashback. Meanwhile, with mentions of O'Conner living out his family life in the Fast & Furious universe, even being seen pulling into the Toretto's driveway in his signature 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R in 2021's F9 , the production team has clearly demonstrated the willingness to leave the door ajar for the character's inclusion. Furthermore, film director Louis Leterrier also stated during an interview with TotalFilm that 'the Walker family is still very much a part of this franchise… It just has to be the right moment, the right tone.' With much uncertainty on how they will bring back O'Conner, and in what capacity, fans can only wait and see how things will rev up when Fast X: Part 2 hits the road in April 2027. Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he's not sleeping, he's most likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is probably the Bible, and it's honestly pretty close. Brian O'Conner Fast & Furious Fast X Part 2 paul walker Vin Diesel
The Independent
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Fast and Furious icon Paul Walker could return in new film
Vin Diesel hinted at the potential return of Paul Walker 's character, Brian O'Conner, to the Fast and Furious franchise, 12 years after the actor's death. At Fuel Fest, Diesel stated one of his three conditions for the final Fast and Furious film, set for April 2027, was to reunite Dom and Brian O'Conner. Paul Walker, who died in 2013, last appeared in 2015's Furious 7, with his younger brothers completing his unfinished scenes as body doubles. It remains unclear how Walker's character would return, with digital insertion of his likeness being a likely method. The article also noted Meadow Walker's cameo in 2023's Fast X and Dwayne Johnson 's surprise return in a mid-credits scene.
Geek Tyrant
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Vin Diesel Confirms Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner Will Return for the FAST & FURIOUS Finale in 2027 — GeekTyrant
Vin Diesel just gave Fast & Furious fans a moment to remember during his surprise appearance at FuelFest in Southern California over the weekend. While standing in front of a cheering crowd, he officially confirmed that the franchise finale is locked in for an April 2027 release, and that it will bring back Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner. Diesel also revealed that the final installment will return to the streets of Los Angeles, the same city where it all began 25 years ago. Diesel previously said: 'Los Angeles needs it now more than ever… Los Angeles is where Fast and Furious started filming 25 years ago… and now Fast will finally return home.' But the headline-grabber came when Diesel confirmed the return of Brian O'Conner, the character made iconic by Walker, who tragically passed away in a car accident in 2013. Walker starred alongside Diesel in the original 2001 film and appeared in five more entries before his death. Diesel said: 'To be able to bring Brian back in the finale means everything.' Though Diesel didn't go into details about how Brian's return will be executed, the franchise has previously used a combination of visual effects and body doubles—primarily Walker's brothers Cody and Caleb—to honor his legacy, most notably in Furious 7 . That film, which also opened in April, remains the highest-grossing installment to date, raking in more than $1.5 billion worldwide. This new chapter, often referred to as Fast X: Part 2 , is positioned as the grand finale to one of the most successful franchises in movie history. Diesel has long pushed for Universal to finalize a release plan, especially following Fast X , which brought in over $700 million globally. His persistence seems to have paid off. Christina Hodson ( The Flash, Bumblebee ) and Oren Uziel ( The Lost City, 22 Jump Street ) are co-writing the script. It was also previously confirmed that Fast X director Louis Leterrier is returning to direct. What do you think about bringing Walker's character back for the big finale?
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Vin Diesel says Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner could return in 'Fast & Furious 11'
Vin Diesel says the planned finale of the long-running "Fast & Furious" franchise will come with an unexpected passenger. Speaking at Fuel Fest, an automotive event in Pomona over the weekend, Diesel told fans that the final 'Fast & Furious' film will bring back one of the series' most beloved characters: Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner. The longtime on-screen partner to Diesel's Dominic Toretto, O'Conner last appeared in 2015's "Furious 7," which was completed after Walker's death in a car accident in 2013 at age 40. The franchise — known for its blend of street racing, elaborate heists and outsized action — has grown into one of the most successful of all time, with more than $7 billion at the global box office. "Just yesterday I was with Universal Studios," Diesel said in a video from the event. "The studio said to me, 'Vin, can we please have the finale of 'Fast & Furious' [in] April 2027?' I said, 'Under three conditions' — because I've been listening to my fanbase." Read more: Brad Pitt and 'F1 The Movie' zoom to $55.6 million in Apple's biggest box office debut Those conditions, he said, were to bring the franchise back to L.A., return to its street-racing roots and reunite Dom and Brian. "That is what you're going to get in the finale," Diesel promised. How the production might accomplish that reunion remains unclear. When Walker died during the making of "Furious 7," the filmmakers turned to a mix of archived footage, digital effects and performances by Walker's brothers, Caleb and Cody, who served as stand-ins for unfinished scenes. Artists at Weta Digital created more than 300 visual-effects shots to map Walker's likeness onto his brothers' bodies, often piecing together dialogue from existing recordings. The film's farewell — showing Brian and Dom driving side by side before splitting onto separate roads — became one of the franchise's most memorable and emotional moments, widely seen as a tribute to Walker's legacy. A return for Brian O'Conner would join a growing list of posthumous digital performances in major franchises — a practice that continues to stir debate over where the line should be drawn. In 2016's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," Peter Cushing's Grand Moff Tarkin was recreated through a mix of motion capture, CGI and archival material, decades after Cushing's death. In 2019, "The Rise of Skywalker" relied on previously unused footage and digital stitching to return Carrie Fisher's Leia to the screen three years after the actress' passing. And in last year's "Alien: Romulus," the late Ian Holm's likeness was recreated as an android using AI and digital effects, with the approval of his estate — a choice that sparked controversy and led to more practical effects being used in the film's home release. Sign up for Indie Focus, a weekly newsletter about movies and what's going on in the wild world of cinema. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
