Universal has officially announced that the filming for Fast and Furious 7 has been put on hold and suggested that it needs to figure out how it plans on going forward with the franchise.

The studio released a formal statement on Dec. 4:

"Right now, all of us at Universal are dedicated to providing support to Paul's immediate family and our extended Fast & Furious family of cast, crew and filmmakers. At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production onFast & Furious 7 for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise. We are committed to keeping Fast & Furious fans informed, and we will provide further information to them when we have it. Until then, we know they join us in mourning the passing of our dear friend Paul Walker."

It was already rumored that the next film in the franchise might be held up because of the actor's sudden death, and that major changed would be made to the plot and script as Walker played a key role in the film.

Walker died on Nov. 30 in a car crash in Santa Clarita, Calif. He was the passenger in a car being driven by his friend, race car driver Roger Rodas, who also died in the accident. The speeding car hit a tree and instantly burst into flames, causing both the actor and Rodas to die on the spot. The actor was headed home after attending a charity event for his foundation, Reach Out Worldwide.

Watch a tribute vid for the actor by the franchise:

Tags
Fast and Furious 7, Paul Walker