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As you may or may not know, the production of the latest Fast & Furious film was stopped abruptly last year, when one of its major stars, Paul Walker, was killed in a car crash. This year, it resumed in April, after it was determined that Paul could be replaced by an intricate tactic of using his brothers as body doubles and a computer to generate his face on film.

Today, we find out from the Hollywood Reporter that the said intricate tactic can wind up costing the a staggering $50 million (€36.5 million) but it's probably going to be covered by the insurance claim. Universal Studios is in negotiations to get reimbursed on what has been called Hollywood's largest insurance claim.

The original budget of the film seems to have been blown by extensive reshoots, as the writers and producers decided to go ahead with filming and not kill off Paul's character, but rather retire him. While it was a very nice gesture, it's now raising the cost of the production and someone needs to pay up.

It's been reported that the two remaining Walker brothers, Caleb and Cody, are being used to act as body doubles for their deceased sibling. Caleb is being used for body size and mannerisms, and Cody is being used for the eyes. The way the scenes are shot, there are always three cameras pointing at the actors and everything has to be shot three times over. All of this costs money.

The insurance company which is responsible for the claim is called Fireman's Fund, and it is expected to respect its end of the deal and provide the sum. A spokesperson for the company has declined to comment, but reports indicate that there is some tension between the studio and the insurance company over disagreements as to how much money has to be paid.

In such cases, there are huge expenses running up if a project is delayed, and, since production has been halted for well over 4 months on the movie, it remains to be seen who is going to foot the bill for the actors, equipment and everything else needed to finish the project.

Representatives for the studio have denied any tension and claim that the insurance company has been nothing but “supportive,” hinting towards a friendly resolution of the dispute.

There is no doubt that this latest movie in the Fast & Furious franchise is going to make a killing at the box office. Judging by the number of people who showed regret when Paul Walker passed away, many spectators are going to turn up in theaters to see him on the screen for the last time.

source : softpedia.com