Furious 7
"Back to the Starting Line" Featurette
Our Furious 7 release comes full of additional content, including "Back to the Starting Line" under "Making of Featurettes." In this behind-the-scenes exclusive, the actors, director, and producers share what it feels like returning to the long-running franchise. The cast and crew all seem to be ready to create the most action-packed edition of Fast & Furious to date — all with the introduction of several new characters.
In Furious 7, Fast & Furious is bigger than ever before. With the continued success of the franchise, the actors feel encouraged to do better in each film — and the seventh installment is no exception. But despite this desire to take the action up a notch, the actors and director, James Wan, are determined not to lose sight of what makes the characters so beloved by fans. Naturally, this is a challenge everyone is enthusiastic to take on.
Fast & Furious has since gained a far larger budget than was available to the original film. Early on in the franchise, before the spectacles, the film was known for its engaging, emotionally developed characters. The people behind Furious 7 refuse to fall back on visual effects and physical action to carry the film. In line with how the franchise began, the spotlight will remain right where it’s always been: on the beloved characters of Fast & Furious.
According to Chris Morgan, writer and executive producer, the heart of Fast & Furious has always been the idea of family. When approaching Furious 7, they wanted to keep close relationships and bonds between characters at the center of the script.
According to Vin Diesel, “Increasing the emotional stakes is what will set this saga apart from any other movie. The emotional heartbeat of the movie is something that everyone is invested in.”
On the actors’ end, there’s the benefit of a strong, existing rapport, when returning to set. After working with the same group for around fourteen years, the bonds between actors help them to comfortably communicate and give input. This also lends further support to the bonds between characters, themselves. The familiarity between actors is evident through in-character relationships and interactions — which adds an even greater emotional charge to the story.
Even still, this focus on capturing emotion applies not just to the characters already known by the audience, but it also accounts for brand-new characters. When introducing the new villain of Furious 7, those behind the film are determined to instantly affect the viewer on an emotional level. Fans have to feel that this villain, despite being freshly introduced into the franchise, has already taken something away from them, as viewers. This comes into play at the end of Fast & Furious 6 when we find out that Furious 7’s villain, Deckard Shaw, was responsible for Han’s death. This is vital to the emotional weight of the film, as the actors, producers, and director had intended.
When introducing new characters into the Fast & Furious franchise, it’s important to consider: Who fits into this world? In this franchise, characters come and go with a purpose. While several brand-new characters are introduced in Furious 7, each one is guaranteed to add something new to the story and its world, and each one strives to add even more excitement to the viewing experience. Michelle Rodriguez even says, “I think that the franchise has done a really good job picking out people in the industry with some swag.”
In Fast & Furious, it’s about adding new dimensions — through characters, story, and directors alike — each time around.
Watch this bonus video after purchasing Furious 7 on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM, DVD & Digital.*
*Bonus features are only available at select digital retailers. Check retailer for details.
Like this article? Read more about the making of Furious 7 here: