Movie studio claims insurance after Paul Walker's death Publication Date 06/03/2014 Source: Marketwatch Universal Pictures is said to be seeking a $50 million insurance payout from Fireman's Fund, the insurer for the coming "Fast & Furious" installment, following the death of actor Paul Walker, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Shortly following the deaths of Walker and his friend Roger Rodas during a filming hiatus over the Thanksgiving holidays on Nov. 30 of last year, there was speculation as to whether the studio, owned by Comcast (CMCSA), would be filing what is now said to be the largest insurance claim in Hollywood history, and whether the picture could be completed at all following the death of one of its stars. After a few tense weeks, filming resumed and the studio has enlisted the help of a number of actors in addition to Walker's brothers Caleb and Cody to complete the film using some CGI face-replacement technology in addition to body and voice doubles. The script has also been revised to give Walker's character, Brian O' Conner, an exit from the franchise which will be going ahead after the debut of the seventh film in 2015. The movie is facing substantial delays and expenses associated with re-creating scenes with Walker's character, which are said to be tremendously complex. Director Peter Jackson's company Weta Digital, famous for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, has been brought in from New Zealand to help. In addition, a number of unused scenes from previous "Fast & Furious" featuring Walker's character have been incorporated into the new film. As a result, the total cost of the picture is now believed to be $250 million or more, and the studio is in negotiations with Fireman's Fund over an expected $50 million payout to compensate for the expenses associated in re- creating Walker's character. The insurance company, by design, won't have to pay the cost of completing the picture per se, but rather the cost of replacing Walker in the film had the accident not occurred, and that means the expenses that arise from the steps taken to remedy his absence. The Hollywood Reporter, citing a source close to the production, states that there is tension between the studio and the insurance company over the separation of expenses associated with recreating Walker's character versus cost overruns for the picture as a whole. Insurance payouts to movie studios as a result of actors' injuries or deaths aren't uncommon, though it is rare for a picture to be scrapped entirely following death or injury. Most recently, Robert Downey Jr.'s broken ankle during filming of "Iron Man 3" precipitated an insurance claim believed to be between $10 million and $15 million as a result of delays during production. Walker and Rodas were killed when their Porsche Carrera GT skidded off the road in a Los Angeles- area business park in November when the pair was returning from a nearby charity event.