Fast and Furious 7 release date pushed back to 2015 after Paul Walker's death

The next instalment of the car action movie franchise is set to go ahead

The late Paul Walker will star in Fast and Furious 7 (EPA)

Filming for the seventh instalment of the Fast and Furious movie franchise was delayed after the tragic death of lead actor Paul Walker last month.

But a new announcement from co-star Vin Diesel has confirmed that the film will now reach screens in spring 2015 – nine months later than planned – and Walker will be appearing.

Diesel, who plays street racer Dominic Toretto in the series, posted a picture of himself with Walker on his official Facebook page, along with the caption: "The last scene we filmed together. Fast and Furious 7 will be released 10 April 2015!"

The 46-year-old actor continued: “There was a unique sense of completion, of pride we shared…in the film we were now completing…the magic captured…and, in just how far we've come."

Diesel finished his comment with a reference to his friend that told how Walker would “want you [his fans] to know first.”

Vin Diesel posted this picture on his official Facebook page - the last scene he shot with Paul Walker (Vin Diesel (Facebook))

Walker, 40, died on 30 November when the Porsche he was a passenger in crashed into a street light and tree before bursting into flames. Speed was named a key factor in the accident, which occurred north of Los Angeles in California.

The latest Fast and Furious movie will follow on from Fast and Furious 6, released in May 2013. It took £482 million at the global box office, helping to make Walker the sixth highest-grossing actor of the year and Diesel the fourth, according to Forbes magazine.

Since Walker’s fatal accident, writers including Chris Morgan have been busy revising the script for the new film and planning how to rework scenes already shot. Walker had already filmed a considerable number of his scenes prior to his death, but many remain incomplete.

A production spokesperson confirmed the news to Digital Spy: "Continuing the global exploits in the franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead the returning cast of Fast and Furious 7, which will be released by Universal Pictures on April 10 2015.

"James Wan directs this chapter of the hugely successful series, and Neal H Moritz and Vin Diesel return as producers."

After Walker’s death, Universal Pictures announced they will be donating proceeds from the upcoming Fast and Furious 6 DVD to Walker’s charity, Reach Out Worldwide.