The "Fast & Furious" franchise has become a major cultural mainstay over the years.

However, none of the previous installments might have as much hype or anticipation as the upcoming seventh installment "Fast & Furious 7."

The latest installment has the onus of not only besting a well-received sixth film, but must also do right by the now-departed Paul Walker.

Here is what we know so far about the new film:

Paul Walker Will Not Be Killed Off

Walker died tragically in a car accident while the film was still in production, and there were a lot of questions about how his character would be altered or removed from the picture. There has been no real confirmation on the plan but speculation has run rampant. There have been rumors of his character being retired instead of killed off.

In other instances, there have been reports of CGI effects being utilized.

According to the Daily News, "They have hired four actors with bodies very similar to Paul's physique and they will be used for movement and as a base ... Paul's face and voice will be used on top using CGI."

More recent reports indicate that deceased actor's siblings Caleb and Cody would also help out as body doubles.

This was confirmed by a statement on the film's Facebook page.

"We have resumed shooting and now welcome Paul's brothers, Caleb and Cody, into our FAST family. Caleb and Cody are helping us complete some remaining action for their brother and fill in small gaps left in production. Having them on set has made us all feel that Paul is with us too," said the statement.

The Film Will Be the Highest Grossing Movie in the Franchise

Every installment in the franchise has done well with the exception of "Tokyo Drift" which faltered in the U.S. That exception withstanding, every other installment has done better at the box office than its predecessor.

The very first film made $144 million in the U.S. and $207 worldwide. The follow up made $127 million, but took home $236 worldwide. After the debacle that was "Tokyo Drift," the fourth movie bounced back with a $155 million gross in the U.S. and a $363 million intake worldwide.

"Fast Five" upped the ante with a gross of $209 million in the U.S. and a terrific $626 million worldwide. The most recent 2013 installment "Fast & Furious 6" brought in $238 million domestically and an astonishing $788 million.

When one considers the buzz regarding Paul Walker's death, the continued inflation of ticket prices and the trend of increasing box office intakes for each installment, then it is likely that this one could be the first to surpass $300 million in the U.S. and potentially $1 billion internationally.

Jason Statham Gets Big Role

The action star played a small part in the previous installment, but all signs point toward him being the main antagonist in this film. In the previous film, the crew defeated Owen Shaw and it seems that Statham, who plays Shaw's older brother Ian, is out for some blood.

Other Major Cast Members Return

Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Dwayne Johnson will be returning in this film. They will be joined by Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Lucas Black among others. Kurt Russell is also in the film as are Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey, Nathalie Emmanuel, Djimon Hounsou, John Brotherton and Ali Fazal.

The film is set for a release on April 3, 2015 and is directed by James Wan.

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