Furious 7 film’s stars on what it was like to make the movie in Abu Dhabi
It’s the final countdown before the release tonight of Furious 7, a film that’s predicted to smash box-office records. And it’s been almost a year since the film’s 120-strong cast and crew, including the director James Wan, actors Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez and Nathalie Emmanuel, descended on Abu Dhabi for the city’s first major Hollywood shoot.
They shot some of the film’s most thrilling action scenes in locations including Etihad Towers, Emirates Palace, the Corniche and Al Dhafra. The cast told us about working together for years, going on without their “brother” Paul Walker and having a blast in the UAE.
A Whole Lotta’ Love for the UAE
For Diesel, Emmanuel and Ludacris, being on location here last year was their first opportunity to experience the culture and sights of the UAE. “I didn’t know what to expect,” says Diesel. “I’d travelled to other Arabic places – Tunisia, and Egypt. Maybe I thought that the people there were so rich that they weren’t going to be as warm as they were. There’s a pride in generosity in the UAE that’s mind-blowing. It’s something unique to that culture that I’ve never seen anywhere else. Where I’m from, in New York City, it’s totally the opposite of that. I couldn’t believe how warm and good-spirited people were.”
Ludacris also fell in love with the UAE, but for different reasons: “I definitely love the money and the drive and the motivation, and how many supercars there are. Everybody is competing with each other over who can have the most exclusive supercar. It’s a man’s dream land because it’s just money, a lot of motivation and a lot of power.” Emmanuel was taken with the landscape of the capital. “I could not believe how beautiful it was. The beaches! Oh my goodness, they were just so stunning. “And how sweet everybody was. The people were so excited to have us there and made us feel so welcome. It was amazing that I got to work there. It didn’t feel like work because it was so much fun.”
When she wasn’t busy filming, Emmanuel managed to fit in a trip to Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. “That’s probably one of the most beautiful, peaceful places I’ve ever visited in my life. I tell everybody about it. And I loved the history behind it. I loved learning about all the different artwork, the decorative things that have come from other countries all over the world – I was just blown away and I took so many pictures. People were getting bored of me talking about it when I got home.”
Gibson and Diesel both tried out the UAE’s own “fast and furious” sport of dune bashing.
“I did dune bashing at the Maktoums’ and it was very cool,” Diesel told us. “Now those are real willies! It was wild.”
Gibson was less enthusiastic: “I was scared as hell. But we made it out safely.”
Gibson is notorious for being a huge fan of the UAE, never missing an opportunity to spread some love for the country and its people on social media. And with a Facebook page that gets 1.2 billion hits a month, a lot of people around the world are hearing him.
The experience informed Gibson’s latest single with Snoop Dogg, Dumb Sh*t, which has a distinctive Arabic feel to it.
Gibson exclusively revealed to The National that the song and the video’s vibe were inspired by his memories of the UAE.
“I got a whole lotta love for the UAE. People there made me feel a part of their family. They are the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life.”