<P> In April 2013, during post-production of the retitled Fast & Furious 6, Lin announced that he would not return to direct a seventh film, as the studio wanted to produce the film on an accelerated schedule for release in summer 2014 . This would have required Lin to begin pre-production on the sequel while performing post-production on Fast & Furious 6, which he considered would affect the quality of the final product . Despite the usual two - year gap between the previous installments, Universal chose to pursue a sequel quicker due to having fewer reliable franchises than its competitor studios . However, subsequent interviews with Lin have suggested that the sixth film was always intended to be the final installment under his direction . </P> <P> In April 2013, Australian director James Wan, predominantly known for horror films, was announced as the sequel's director, with Neal H. Moritz and Michael Fottrell returning to produce and Morgan returning to write the script, his fifth in the franchise . On April 16, 2013, Diesel announced that the sequel would be released on July 11, 2014 . In May 2013, Diesel said that the sequel would feature Los Angeles, Tokyo, and the Middle East as locations . </P> <P> Principal photography began in early September 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia, with a casting call issued . Abu Dhabi was also a filming location; the production crew chose it over Dubai, as they would benefit from the Emirate's 30% rebate scheme . Pikes Peak Highway in Colorado was closed in September to film some driving sequences . </P> <P> On September 16, the production filmed with Paul Walker and the Kimsey twins, playing his son, Jack, in front of an Atlanta elementary school . Han's funeral scene was filmed at Oakland Cemetery, with extras needed for the scene being "hot, hip and trendy cool types of all ethnicities between the ages of 18 and 45". On the evening of September 19, Lucas Black joined the production for his sole scene with Diesel, in an Atlanta parking garage . Separate scenes with Walker also shot in the same location on the same night, including one half of a phone conversation between his character and Jordana Brewster's . The day after, Diesel posted a picture from the night shoot with Black on his Facebook page . </P>

When did they start filming fast and furious 7