Latest news with #Furious7
Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Ali Fazal says he lost many good projects trying to balance Hollywood and Bollywood
Actor Ali Fazal has been part of several international projects over the years, ranging from cameos in blockbusters like Furious 7 and Death on the Nile to starring roles in Victoria & Abdul and Kandahar. However, several times, these appearances have come at the cost of other roles. Ali Fazal had a prominent role in Gerard Butler-starrer Kandahar. On balancing international and Indian projects In a chat with HT, Ali talks about how tricky it is to balance being a part of both Indian and international projects. "It is tough," he says, "The real hard part is that I lose out a lot. There are two to three projects that I feel bad at losing out on. My colleagues have done them and done a good job, so it would be unfair to name them. But it's all good. I am happy for them." Ali says that trying to work in the West means he often has no releases in India for long durations. "There is a common complaint when people say 'tum itna dikhte nahi ho (you aren't seen much)'. But what can I do when I am trying to balance the two industries? I have seen the other side, so I want to do more work there," he explains. On doing Hollywood 'sans fanfare' We point out to him that he stars in several big Hollywood projects without much fanfare, as opposed to several other Indian actors. Ali laughs and responds, "I am not oblivious to it. I don't have an 'I don't care' attitude. I do care. At the end of the day, we are presenting ourselves, and I want to do that." For now, the man is focusing on Hindi cinema. He recently starred in Anurag Basu's romantic drama Metro In Dino. Up next for him is Rajkumar Santoshi's Lahore 1947, which also stars Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shilpa Shetty, and Shabana Azmi. He will then reprise his role as Guddu Pandit in Mirzapur, the movie. The film will act a culmination to the popular Mirzapur show.
The South African
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
Vin Diesel sparks online debate by teasing Paul Walker's return
Vin Diesel has sparked a fierce debate after hinting that Paul Walker's iconic character, Brian O'Conner, could return in the final chapter of the Fast & Furious franchise. The film is set for release in April 2027. The announcement came during Diesel's appearance at FuelFest in Pomona, California. During his appearance he outlined three key conditions for the upcoming film. Bringing the franchise back to Los Angeles, returning to its street racing roots, and reuniting Dom Toretto with Brian O'Conner, according to Daily Mail. Diesel, 57, wore a tank top emblazoned with 'Fast X Part 2 Los Angeles Production 2025'. He excitedly shared the news with fans. He emphasised the importance of these conditions to Universal Pictures. 'That is what you're going to get in the finale.' Fans met his remarks with mixed reactions, especially since Paul Walker tragically died in a car accident in 2013 at the age of 40. Walker's character was given a heartfelt send-off in Furious 7 (2015). Filmmakers used advanced CGI technology to recreate his face over stand-ins. These stand ins included his brothers Cody and Caleb Walker, and actor John Brotherton. This approach was initially praised for its respectful tribute. However it has now become a point of contention as fans express discomfort with the idea of resurrecting Brian O'Conner for the new film. On social media, many fans voiced their disapproval. One user tweeted, 'Bringing back Paul Walker as a CGI character is as disgusting as bringing back Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther.' Another wrote, 'Let Paul Walker rest in peace instead of CGI-ing him into a crappy movie.' Others felt the franchise should end respectfully, with one stating, 'It's disrespectful and stretching out a franchise that should've ended like 10 years ago.' However, some defended the move. Walker's family, including his mother Cheryl Walker and brother Cody Walker—who were present at FuelFest—appear supportive of the decision. Vin Diesel's announcement also reflects a broader trend in Hollywood of using CGI and AI technology to revive beloved actors. Filmmakers recreated Val Kilmer's voice in the 2021 documentary Val. This raises complex questions about legacy, respect, and artistic integrity in the digital age. Vin Diesel's tease about Brian O'Conner's return has ignited passionate debate. While some fans eagerly anticipate the reunion of Dom and Brian, others urge respect for Paul Walker's memory and caution against overextending the franchise. As the final Fast & Furious film races towards its 2027 release, the world watches closely to see how this beloved story will conclude. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Top Gear
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Top Gear
Fast X: Part 2 will apparently reunite Dominic Toretto and... Brian O'Conner. Wait, what?
Fast X: Part 2 will apparently reunite Dominic Toretto and... Brian O'Conner. Wait, what? It will also see the series return to Los Angeles and its street racing roots Skip 6 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 6 Vin Diesel has confirmed a few key details for what we can expect in Fast X: Part 2, the final chapter in the long-running and sometimes incomphrensible Fast and Furious saga, with the most crucial being an on-screen return for Brian O'Conner (played by the late Paul Walker). The beloved cop-turned-racer had a starring role in five of the first six instalments, before his passing during the production of the seventh. Walker is believed to have completed 85 per cent of his scenes in that movie, with his brothers, Caleb and Cody, stepping in for the remainder as CGI stand-ins. Advertisement - Page continues below Walker was given a heartfelt tribute at the end of Furious 7, and though his character has been referenced on multiple occasions in the three movies since, the decision to bring him back to the fold could prove to be a divisive one. Also... how, exactly? Diesel confirmed the franchise was also heading back to its spiritual home of Los Angeles, where the very first movie was set, while promising a return to the street racing theme that made the series such a hit. Whether the production team decides to go full '90s, with deep house music and time-warping nitrous oxide scenes, is yet to be seen. A return to LA makes the previous movie's cliffhanger ending somewhat tricky: Toretto staring at a soon-to-collapse dam, his team's plane being taken down and the post-credit return of Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). So, once more... how, exactly? Fast X: Part 2 was originally set for release in early 2026, but production delays have now pushed the launch date back to April 2027. Reckon Diesel's revelations are going to make it worth the wait? Advertisement - Page continues below Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Fast and Furious' Brian O'Conner to return in final film, Vin Diesel says
Brain O'Conner, the cop-turned-outlaw played by the late Paul Walker, will return for the final Fast and Furious movie, franchise star Vin Diesel said Saturday at the Fuel Fast event in Los Angeles. In a short speech that's made the rounds on social media, Diesel said that, when asked by Universal Studios to lock in a release date of April 20, 2027, for the Fast and Furious finale, he responded with three conditions. One was a return to Los Angeles, the second was a return to the street racing that was the focus of the first film. "The third thing was reuniting Dom and Brian O'Conner," Diesel said, referring to his own character Dominic Toretto. "That is what you are going to get in the finale." Walker starred opposite Diesel in the first six Fast and Furious movies before he was killed in a car crash on November 30, 2013. Filming of Furious 7 was already underway at that time, so things were changed to write O'Conner out of the franchise. That included a final scene in which Walker's brother Cody stepped in as O'Conner, with digital effects to make the switch less obvious. Cody Walker stood next to Diesel during the announcement, along with Tyrese Gibson, who plays Roman Pearce in the franchise. Diesel didn't elaborate on how the production team would accomplish his wish list, but digital effects to change an actor's appearance, including superimposing the likenesses of dead actors onto living ones, has only become more common since the release of Furious 7. So it's not difficult to imagine Brian O'Conner making his return this way. The upcoming movie will be the 11th in the main Fast and Furious storyline, not including the 2019 spinoff Hobbs & Shaw. Expected to be Called Fast X Part Two (as it picks up on the storyline from 2023's Fast X) its scheduled release date will be 26 years after the 2001 release of The Fast and the Furious. That's an impressive record for any movie franchise, and explains the eagerness to bring back Brian O'Conner for one last ride. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
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." 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. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
