Furious 7 (often stylized as Furious Seven and alternatively known as Fast Seven or Fast & Furious 7) [7] is a 2015 American action film directed by James Wan and written by Chris Morgan. It is the seventh installment in the Fast and the Furious franchise. The film stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Kurt Russell, and Jason Statham. Furious 7 follows Dominic Toretto (Diesel), Brian O'Conner (Walker) and the rest of their team, who have returned to the United States to live normal lives after securing amnesty for their past crimes in Fast & Furious 6 (2013), until Deckard Shaw (Statham), a rogue special forces assassin seeking to avenge his comatose younger brother, puts them in danger once again.[8] With the previous three installments set between 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Furious 7 is the first installment in the franchise to take place after Tokyo Drift. The film also marks the final film appearance of Walker, who died in a single-vehicle accident on November 30, 2013, with filming only half-completed.[9] Following Walker's death, filming was delayed for script rewrites, and his brothers, Caleb and Cody, were used among others as stand-ins to complete his remaining scenes.[10] Plans for a seventh installment were first announced in February 2012 when Johnson stated that production on the film would begin after the completion of Fast & Furious 6. In April 2013, Wan, predominantly known for horror films, was announced to direct the film in place of Justin Lin, who left the franchise after directing the previous four installments. Casting began in the same month with the re-signing of Diesel and Walker, and an initial release date was set. Principal photography began in Atlanta, Georgia, in September 2013, resumed in April 2014 and ended in July 2014, with other filming locations including Los Angeles, Colorado, Abu Dhabi and Tokyo. Furious 7 premiered in Los Angeles on April 1, 2015, and was first released in Australia on April 2, 2015, and then in the United States on April 3, 2015. The film was also released in 3D, IMAX 3D, and 4DX internationally. Upon release, the film became a critical and commercial success, with praise being aimed at the film's action sequences and its tribute to Walker. The film grossed $397.6 million worldwide in its first five days of release, which is the third-highest-grossing opening of all time. The film has grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film in the franchise after just twelve days, the second-highest-grossing film of 2015 and the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time. A sequel is scheduled to be released on April 14, 2017.