Local boy Alex Billington of FirstShowing.net drew our attention to a story in today’s The Gazette “serving Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region” in which the paper announced that the Pikes Peak Highway would be shut down in September to shoot an upcoming Universal Pictures movie.
Anyone aware of the M.O. for the “Fast and Furious” franchise’s big set pieces and the fact that director James Wan will have to start production on Fast and Furious 7 fairly soon to make his July 11, 2014 release date, probably would be figuring the same thing that the reporter at The Gazette did, which is that they are going to shoot one of the upcoming movie’s action pieces on Pikes Peak.
Although the name of the film shooting there was not specified in the news release sent out Friday, apparently just to the local paper, or by local officials who kept the movie’s title under wraps, it was stated that the film would “benefit both the City of Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain.”
The highway will be fully or partially shut down for roughly two weeks of filming between September 3 and the 10th, although hikers will still be able to climb and the “Pikes Peak Cog Railway” will still be operational. Fortunately, visitors will get a discount when the highway is partially closed and they’re extending the 2013 season for the North Slope Recreation Area so visitors won’t feel put out by the invasion of Hollywood and the street racing franchise.
Another solid connection that can be made between this announcement and them filming “Fast and Furious” there is that its co-star Paul Walker served as Grand Marshal for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this past summer with the mayor of the town as his passenger in the Official Pace Car. Surely, that can’t be a coincidence.
