Claim: Before Furious 7 was released, Justin Lin left the franchise.

Furious 7 -LRB- alternatively known as Fast & Furious 7 and Fast 7 -RRB- 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 ` Ludacris ' Bridges , Jordana Brewster , Djimon Hounsou , Kurt Russell , and Jason Statham . Furious 7 follows Dominic Toretto -LRB- Diesel -RRB- , Brian O'Conner -LRB- Walker -RRB- , 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 -LRB- 2013 -RRB- , until Deckard Shaw -LRB- Statham -RRB- , a rogue special forces assassin seeking to avenge his comatose younger brother , puts the team in danger once again .   With the previous three installments set between 2 Fast 2 Furious -LRB- 2003 -RRB- and The Fast and the Furious : Tokyo Drift -LRB- 2006 -RRB- , 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 crash on November 30 , 2013 with filming only half-completed . Following Walker 's death , filming was delayed for script rewrites , and his brothers , Caleb and Cody , were used as stand-ins to complete his remaining scenes . These script rewrites completed the story arcs for both Walker and Brewster 's characters -LRB- Brian O'Conner and Mia Toretto , respectively -RRB- , causing both to be retired . As a result , it is also the final installment in the franchise to star Brewster .   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 theatrically released in the United States on April 3 , 2015 , playing 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 during its opening weekend , which is the sixth highest-grossing opening of all time . The film has grossed over $ 1.5 billion worldwide -- more than the franchise 's first five installments combined -- making it the highest-grossing film of the franchise after just twelve days , the third highest-grossing film of 2015 and the sixth highest-grossing film of all time . A sequel , The Fate of the Furious , was released on April 14 , 2017 .