'Fast & Furious 7' Re-Write, Writers Working on Fitting Send-off for Paul Walker

Sources say writer Chris Morgan now is at work crafting revisions to the script that Universal execs hope can retire Walker's character from the series using scenes already shot. If he succeeds, cast and crew could be called back to work by late January -- but that's a big if.



The morning following Walker's Nov. 30 death, top Universal execs held a conference call to mull the next steps. An insider stresses that the priority was supporting the shocked and bereaved family, cast and crew. NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer subsequently called all on that list to offer condolences.

Studio chairman Donna Langley -- in her first major leadership test since being promoted in September -- and production co-president Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, the lead exec on the Fast movies, were designated to run point on finding a creative solution for the franchise. According to a knowledgeable source, the studio already has poured about $150 million into the film, a bill that its insurance firm, Fireman's Fund, might have to pay in full if Universal concludes the picture must be started anew. Fireman's Fund declined comment, as did Universal.

The wreck of the Porsche Carrera GT creates a uniquely nightmarish scenario for Universal. In addition to losing the star of its most important live-action franchise -- a series about fast cars -- in a devastating crash, the accident occurred when the film was well under-way but nowhere near completion. "Almost exactly half of his role was done," says one source. Another says Walker was scheduled for considerable work on the film the week following his death.

Paul Walker of the popular Fast and Furious films dies in Car Accident

UPDATED: The actor was shooting "Fast & Furious 7" for Universal and also was starring in the upcoming "Brick Mansions" and "Hours."

Paul Walker, best known for his role in the hit Fast and the Furious movies, died Saturday afternoon in a car accident in Valencia, Calif., The Hollywood Reporterhas confirmed. He was 40.

PHOTOS: Paul Walker and Other Notable Deaths of 2013TMZ was the first to report the news of his death.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Departmenttweeted that the crash happened around 3:30 p.m. in the 28300 block of Rye Canyon Loop. As of 8 p.m., the road was still closed, and two Los Angeles local TV stations had sent news vans to the scene.

According to TMZ, Walker was in his new Porsche GT when the single-car accident happened. The car reportedly burst into flames, with one of Walker's friends telling the local newspaper they "went through fire extinguishers" in a futile bid to fight the blaze. "We tried, we tried," Antonio Holmes told the Santa Clarita Signal.

Walker's Facebook page says he was the passenger in the car; AM radio station KHTS reports Roger Rodas, the CEO of Walker's company Always Evolving, was the driver and the car's owner.

Walker was reportedly in the area, just north of Los Angeles, for a car show and toy drive set up through his charity, ReachOut World Wide. In 2010, he flew to Chile to offer to help those injured in the 8.8 magnitude earthquake and earlier was involved in the relief effort to help survivors of the earthquake in Haiti.

He is survived by his 15-year-old daughter, Meadow.

Walker was reprising his role as Brian O'Conner in Universal's Fast & Furious 7 for director JamesWan. The movie had recently begun filming in Atlanta and was set to move to Abu Dhabi in January, but was on a break from shooting for the Thanksgiving holiday. The seventh film in the blockbuster action franchise has been slotted to hit theaters July 11.

The blue-eyed Walker, who described himself on his Twitter page as an "adrenaline junkie," did many stunts in the Fast and the Furious movies himself. He starred in a 2010 National Geographic Channel series Expedition Great White, on which he spent 11 days as part of the crew, catching and tagging great white sharks off the coast of Mexico.

He reportedly owned a pair of high-performance car companies in Valencia.

Fast & Furious behind the scene, Ronda Rousey, Vin Diesel, Kurt Russell, Dwayne Johnson

Vin Diesel shared some cool pics and info via his Facebook page 'Kurt Russell, such an honor to work with,” Fast & Furious 7
Along with that statement, Vin Diesel put up a photo of himself,  Paul Walker, and Kurt Russell.

Russell is one of the newest and most exciting additions to the Fast series,
Other additions to the franchise include Tony Jaa, Djimon Hounsou, and ultimate fighter  Ronda Rousey,