James Wan to direct 'Fast and Furious 7'

James Wan will direct the next installment in the 'Fast & Furious' franchise, taking over from Justin Lin.
The 'Insidious' director is studio Universal's first choice to helm the next installment in the high-octane speed racing franchise, reported Deadline.
Lin is credited with revitalising the franchise, directing the previous three movies in the series, besides the forthcoming 'Fast & Furious 6', but he recently informed studio bosses that he will not return for the seventh movie.
Universal was reportedly eager to rush the seventh film into production for a 2014 release with shooting to begin this summer. However, Lin opted to leave the franchise as he would have to juggle pre-production on the next movie while still working on post-production for the current film.

Wan was on a short list of potential filmmakers for the big budget blockbuster, beating 'Kick-Ass 2' director Jeff Wadlow, 'Contraband' director Baltazar Kormakur and 'The Karate Kid' director Harold Zwart.
The seventh film will mark the return of franchise stars Vin Diesel, who is also executive producer on the series and Paul Walker.
'Fast & Furious 6' is due for release next month.