Tyrese Gibson dedicates Furious 7 to Paul Walker at SXSW premiere

Tyrese Gibson and the bosses of Furious 7 led dedications to late actor Paul Walker before his last movie debuted at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival.

Walker died in a car crash in 2013 before filming on the latest Fast & Furious installment was finished, and studio bosses delayed production to rework the story. His brothers, Cody and Caleb, later stepped in to help complete Walker's scenes.

Furious 7 finally premiered shortly after midnight on Monday (16Mar15) as a last minute addition to the line-up at the festival in Austin, Texas. Gibson, director James Wan and producer Neal Moritz took to the stage before the screening to thank fans for their continued support, before dedicating the movie to their late friend.

According to Variety.com, Gibson said, "We don't look at y'all as fans of the movie... Most of you grew up with us... The reason we kept the movie going is on behalf of our brother Paul Walker."

Moritz added, "I know Paul Walker would be smiling down on us... We lost a dear friend, brother and comrade when we were making this movie. When we decided to continue this movie, we were determined to honour his legacy."

The film ends with a tribute to the actor.