Actor Paul Walker died in 2013 after the Porsche he was a passenger in crashed and burned. Two years later, his "Fast & Furious" co-star and friend Vin Diesel is still struggling over the loss, turning to his role in "The Last Witch Hunter" to cope with his grief.
According to Diesel, death was a big theme in his life last year so there was something therapeutic about taking on the movie role - which had him playing an immortal - after going through with what happened with Walker. He's no stranger to sci-fi and fantasy films but "The Last Witch Hunter" was special for him.
"Playing a character that was masking his sorrow was appropriate for the time, because that's what I was doing in real life with the post-'Furious 7,'" said Diesel.
Walker died while on holiday break from filming the seventh movie in the "Fast & Furious" franchise. Production was indefinitely halted after the incident but was resumed seven months later, as Diesel and the cast believed continuing the movie will honor the legacy that Walker left behind, as well as the respect the actor had for the franchise's fan base.
In fact, Diesel recounted that Walker had so much faith in their fans, he said that "Furious 7" could bomb and yet they'll still do "Furious 8" for them. To Diesel, you can't help but honor a promise like that, most especially one made by someone who is like a brother to him.
Walker believed in the longevity of the franchise and this vision is shared by Diesel, who thinks Walker would be smiling down on them as they are actually doing what they had talked about.
The franchise has been confirmed for three more chapters but not many details have been released yet except that "Furious 8" will be coming out in 2017. There are rumors of Diesel directing the next installment but the actor has dismissed the idea, saying that it is unlikely to happen anytime soon, even when it is his mom pressuring him to do so. Previously, he directed "Los Bandoleros," a short featuring "Furious" cast members and their backstories.
In "The Last Witch Hunter," Diesel plays an 800-year-old immortal saddled with the responsibility of protecting humans from evil supernatural beings. The movie is set to come out on Oct. 23.
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