Paul Walker In 'Hours' - Everything You Need To Know
Following Paul Walker’s sudden and tragic death on Saturday, November 30th, interest in his upcoming film, Hours, has intensified. The film has been described as a dramatic acting departure for the late star as his character tries to keep his daughter alive during Hurricane Katrina. Here’s everything you need to know about the film:
When will it be released?
Pantelion Films and Lionsgate have decided not to delay the film in the wake of Walker’s death. "Paul would have very much wanted us to move forward. He was incredibly proud of this project,” producer Peter Safran told The Hollywood Reporter. This means the film will be released on Dec. 13 in 15 select U.S. cities.
'“We did a press junket two weeks ago, and I remember sitting with him and how excited he was for people to see this movie. He really looked to this movie to show people that he is an actor. He was looking for something to showcase his acting skills, which he so rarely had the chance to do. He hit it out of the park."
Next page: What is 'Hours' about
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What Is It About?
Walker and Genesis Rodrigeuz play soon-to-be parents who rush to a New Orleans hospital after the wife goes into early labor. But while in labour, Nolan (Paul Walker’s) infant daughter’s life is put into jeopardy as Hurricane Katrina hits. He has to keep her alive inside a Neonatal ventilator while the hospital floods and electricity across the city is systematically failing.
“That idea of wanting to talk about father hood and parent hood, and wanting to talk about Katrina, finally came together when I heard the specific story of the doctors and the staff, and how all of them had to manually power ICU equipment, and that is the story,” said Erio Heissere, the writer and director of Hours.
Watch Paul Walker and his colleagues talk 'Hours' in this featurette
“When you're around Paul, you see how genuine a person he is,” he added. “You know when he's happy; he's entertaining, he justs lights up the room; you know when he's being honest with you and you know when he's committed to something and that's exactly who Nolan is.”
Next page: why did Walker take the project on?
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Why did Walker take the project on?
There’s a reason why Paul Walker was considered to be one of the nicest guys in the industry, despite appearing in the Fast & Furious films – a franchise associated with bravado and ostentatiousness. Natural disasters of this ilk compelled him to help others.
He founded the charity ‘Reach Out Worldwide’ back in 2010 after the Haiti earthquake. And, tragically, just before his death, Walker and his charity co-hosted an event in Santa Clarita, Calif., for victims of the recent typhoon in the Philippines. The subject matter of Hours chimed with Walker’s values, as the film’s director explains.
"Hours embodies a message that was so important to him, which is that you have to do everything you can to keep friends and family safe," Safran said.
Next page: will there be any other posthumous Paul Walker appearances?
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Will there be any other posthumous Paul Walker appearances?
Yes. Aside from Hours, Brick Mansions will be posthumously released. It’s a French-Canadian production directed by Camille Delamarre, and co-written by Luc Besson and Bibi Nacer, and sees Walker play an undercover cop charged with infiltrating a criminal gang with access to a powerful neutron bomb. Fast and Furious 7, which is still being filmed, will be released, but will certainly face a reworking. In the meantime, here are some more pictures from Hours, including the official poster.