REEL DEAL: Jason Statham Take Over As Main Villain In “FAST & FURIOUS 7”

British actor Jason Statham best known for his hard-hitting action films (“Transporter,” “Crank”) takes over as the new formidable villain in Universal Pictures' “Fast & Furious 7.”

In the Fast tradition of baddies, Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) had been the most impressive rival the crew had come up against. However, with one lethal move against Han (Sung Kang), Statham’s Deckard Shaw eclipses his brother with an endgame even more personal: to take Dom (Vin Diesel) and the crew down, one by one.

REEL DEAL: Vin Diesel Steers "FAST & FURIOUS 7" To Most Memorable Ride

Inhabiting a character for more than a decade is a rarity for most actors, but it’s something that the multicultural ensemble of Universal Pictures' “Fast & Furious 7,” takes quite seriously—whether it is about dialogue, story points, or car selection. There’s a certain amount of fierce pride that comes with their endurance, which parallels the swagger of streetwise underdogs they all helped bring to audiences so many years ago.

No one owns that pride more than Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, who play ex-lovers Dom and Letty, respectively.

REEL DEAL: Buckle Up For the New “FAST & FURIOUS 7” Trailer

Universal Pictures continues to rev up “Fast & Furious 7” with the release of the action-thriller's new trailer which may be viewed at http://youtu.be/hC-QEjn81HU?list=UU9vXJYvgswrEHfNveILWM2Q.

Continuing the global exploits in the unstoppable franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of “Fast & Furious 7.”

James Wan directs this chapter of the hugely successful series that also welcomes back favorites Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black. They are joined by international action stars new to the franchise including Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey and Kurt Russell.

Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel and Michael Fottrell return to produce the film written by Chris Morgan.

“Fast & Furious 7” opens across the Philippines on Black Saturday, April 04 and will be distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Universal Pictures' “Fast & Furious 7” officially wrapped production today, July 11, as announced in the film's official Facebook page. The post included a letter to fans of the franchise celebrating the end of the production and again paying tribute to the late Paul Walker, whose Brian O'Conner will ride one more time when the film hits theaters next April.

The letter may be read in full below:

“We made it.