Fans of the Fast and Furious franchise breathed a sigh of relief on Sunday (22nd December) when the producers of the seventh film announced it would be released, despite the untimely death of one of its stars, Paul Walker.

Paul Walker
Paul Walker died in November aged 40. 

Producers initially anticipated the film's release date would be delayed but it seems the film will be completed ahead of schedule. Fast and Furious 7 was initially slated to be released in Summer 2015.  However, Vin Diesel announced the film would be released on April 10th 2015. In his statement, posted on his Facebook page on Sunday, Diesel included a still from his last scene with Walker. 

His post read: "The last scene we filmed together.There was a unique sense of completion, of pride we shared. in the film we were now completing. the magic captured. and, in just how far we've come." He then revealed the released date and added that Walker would "want you to know first."

Post by Vin Diesel.

Walker, who was 40 at the time of his death, was on break from filming Fast and Furious 7 and died in a car accident on 30th November. The car was being driven by his friend Roger Rodas when it crashed in Valencia, Los Angeles.  Investigators, having ruled out debris or mechanical failure, believe the car may have been travelling at some speed and crashed as a result, as THR reported. Walker starred, alongside Diesel, in five of the Fast and Furious films (including the upcoming seventh instalment). 

Watch Walker and Diesel in the movie trailer of the last in the franchise, Fast and Furious 6:

A source speaking to THR stated the scenes Walker filmed before his untimely death will appear in the film as a means of retiring Walker's character, ex-cop Brian O'Connor. 

Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel announced the release date of the Fast and Furious 7 on his Facebook page.