No matter how many films they still put out, I'll always be a fan of the "Fast & Furious" franchise. I've grown up with these characters—I've cried, laughed, and celebrated life with them. Watching each installment for the first time is like attending a family reunion, no matter how dysfunctional this family is sometimes.
With this deep emotional attachment, imagine how crushed I was when I heard the dreadful news that Paul Walker passed away. Like Vin Deisel, it felt as if I lost a brother. I lost a friend. I lost a pal. Someone who I thought would always be on screen in the "Fast & Furious" films was now gone. And I couldn't imagine what the next movies will be like without one of its leading men. It's like "The Avengers" without Captain America. Or "Star Trek" without Captain Kirk. He was the golden boy of the franchise. And now, he's gone.
Fortunately, back in 2015, Walker was still in "Furious 7". But knowing this was going to be quite the movie event, I just had to go to the red carpet premiere. Not just to see the movie, but to celebrate it and Paul Walker's life. Although I didn't expect that going there would be quite the emotional roller-coaster. At every corner, I hear stars talk about Paul Walker. What he meant in Hollywood and films in general. And how big of a loss he was in the franchise.
Everything that I heard then got me bawling. But then, seeing the remaining actors up close, I got so stoked. I've met a lot of them before, also during red carpet premieres, and the fact that some of them recognized me warmed my heart so much. And chatting them up a bit, getting them to sign my posters, and even expressing my condolences, it was as if I was talking to a bereaved family of a fallen soldier. And you know what? I kinda did. Only, Walker was a soldier in the film industry. To this day, he's still sorely missed.
Since he was still in "Furious 7," I asked a friend of mine, who has also worked in the movie business as part of the art department, digitally include Paul Walker's autograph onto my signed posters of the film. But it was no random autograph I got from Google. The autograph was from "2 Fast 2 Furious" poster I got signed when that movie premiere.
Seeing his autograph with the others, it gives me a calm feeling. It's as if he actually finished the film with the rest of the cast. I'm sure, if they see it, they'll feel the same way as well.
Please note: Our inventory is limited as we may have only received a few posters in total. Most of our items are obtained from film premieres, studios, and from autographed hounds such as the one in the story above.
