"Fast 5" set was suffocating, leaving everyone gasping for breath. Everyone returned to their respective positions, ostensibly immersing themselves in their work, or at least pretending to. However, the corner of their eyes felt the undercurrents in the air, as if everyone was being forced to take sides—either Vin Diesel or Paul Walker.
The two pillars of the production had suddenly clashed, and no one knew how the situation would develop. The "Fast 5" production seemed to be star-crossed: it started with Dwayne Johnson's antics, followed by various difficulties during the Rio de Janeiro shoot. After finally getting into full production, the two core figures had a falling out. What would happen during the upcoming months of shooting? Could the movie still wrap up according to plan?
The powerful figures of the production arrived at the scene, managing to calm everyone down before the conflict escalated. The production returned to normal operations, but the tense atmosphere from earlier hadn't completely dissipated.
Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, and others hadn't shifted from their positions. They were still seated in the resting area, appearing motionless but, in reality, they had gathered around Paul. Vin, with his air of aggression, returned to the makeup area. Ludacris hesitated briefly, then followed suit, murmuring to Vin in an attempt to soothe his emotions. However, it was evident that Vin wasn't buying it.
"I heard Renly offended Vin; it all started back in Telluride."
"How come I heard it was because Renly and Paul have a history, and Paul wanted to give Renly more screen time, but Vin objected, leading to the fallout?"
"Nonsense. Renly was directly parachuted in from higher up. His connections are strong, don't you know that? Even Spielberg respects him."
"I heard a different version. In Telluride, Vin had his eye on a woman in a bar, but Renly took her away. They ended up having a brawl, and that's how their feud began."
"Is that really true? Why did I hear that Vin intended to teach Renly a lesson today, but Paul saw through it? Vin felt embarrassed, which led to the argument."
"How could that be true? It was just a prank; it's not that serious. Let me tell you, I'm pretty certain Renly is the third lead this time. The main company intends to form a triangle with Renly, reducing the screen time of both Paul and Vin. Paul didn't mind and readily agreed, but Vin didn't want to cede power, so that's why they fought."
"Who is Renly anyway? Why does he sound so impressive? I don't recall any Hollywood bigshot with the last name Hall."
"Why, can't he change his name? Only those who truly know the inside story understand his background. I'm guessing he must come from a prominent family. He could even be a Kennedy, for all we know."
"Really stretching it, aren't you? But hey, what do you think Renly should do?"
This final question put an end to all the gossip discussions.
In the brief spat between Paul and Vin earlier, although Renly's name wasn't directly mentioned, the implications were clear. Anyone with a keen eye could see that it had something to do with Renly. Suddenly, the entire crew began to whisper privately, discussing the matter with great gusto.
However, all this gossip was irrelevant. What mattered was: What should Renly do next? At this moment, Vin seemed on the verge of exploding with anger, his fury finding no outlet. Today's afternoon scene marked Renly's debut, and it also involved a confrontation with Dominic and Brian. If Vin seized the opportunity to escalate the situation, Renly would truly be in trouble.
Renly had a height advantage, towering half a head above Vin. However, Renly's build appeared... slight. In the presence of Vin's muscular physique that resembled a rock formation, Renly seemed like a fragile paper figure. Not to mention resisting Vin, it felt like a mere breath from Vin could shatter Renly. This was truly a battle between a lightweight and a heavyweight, with an intermediate level of four smaller tiers sandwiched in between.
To make matters worse, Hobbs was the character directly opposing Dominic, and there was even a scene of them engaging in a brawl. Moreover, in the scriptwriting, to highlight the protagonist's dominance, Dominic would ultimately emerge victorious—this was a common trope in commercial films.
But imagine, previously Hobbs had been played by Dwayne Johnson, who was a head taller, two sizes bigger, and three levels stronger than Vin. This meant that even Dwayne was at a disadvantage in the film's confrontations. Now, it was Renly...
The scene would be excessively bloody, unimaginable.
This afternoon, in the face of Vin's rage, how should Renly respond? Could he foresee tomorrow's sun?
Justin Lin was also concerned about this matter. He couldn't help but feel a headache, yet he had to face it. It wasn't that he was worried about Renly's situation, but rather the subsequent filming. If Renly got injured, it would definitely impact the production, which was already racing against time. If this continued, it would become a big question mark whether they could make it for the next summer season release.
Justin and Renly hadn't had a private one-on-one conversation. It wasn't Justin's place to interfere with casting decisions. Moreover, in the "Fast & Furious" series, aside from Vin and Paul, other roles were replaceable. Justin didn't have any particular favor or dislike for Renly; he simply hoped for a smooth shoot.
Looking at Renly before him, Justin couldn't help but feel his temples throb. "...Are you okay? Are you prepared?"
Renly gazed at Justin and couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity.
Struggling as an Asian in North America was always exceptionally difficult, even for behind-the-scenes staff. Among Asians, Chinese faced a more challenging situation than Indians, Koreans, or Japanese. So individuals like Ang Lee, Justin Lin, and James Wan, who had carved their own paths through their abilities, earned Renly's deep admiration.
Deep within this façade, Renly was still a Chinese person.
"Yes, I'm prepared." Renly smiled and nodded politely.
Justin was momentarily taken aback, not expecting such a friendly welcome. Being of Chinese descent, he understood the discrimination here better than anyone else. Currently, his directorial portfolio only had "Fast and Furious 4" to showcase, as the third entry in the series had flopped. To earn the respect of these Caucasian actors, he needed to work harder, produce more outstanding works.
It was as if Vin had never held enough respect for Justin; he always issued commands with a condescending attitude. However, Vin also held the title of a producer, and Justin couldn't assert his directorial authority. This was why Justin chose to start with Renly.
The words that surged to Justin's lips momentarily paused. In the end, he simply nodded and said, "Well, the upcoming shoots... might be a bit intense. You better be prepared, and then... yes, it's best to be ready." Justin didn't know what else to say, so he repeated his instructions.
As he turned to leave, Justin couldn't help casting one more glance at Renly, but after a moment's hesitation, he walked away. What else could he do? This was Hollywood, where the voice of the marginalized held no sway, especially in Hollywood. Even Ang Lee, as one of the top Chinese directors in Hollywood now, had limited influence—let alone him.
Deep within his heart, Justin silently wished Renly good luck.
The scene to be filmed this afternoon was a significant one, divided into several smaller segments.
Dominic and Brian decided to rob the local mafia boss's vault. However, they found themselves being hunted by FBI agent Hobbs. To avoid their plan being exposed, they chose to take the initiative, setting a trap to lure Hobbs in. The plan was to confront him head-on, then utilize the advantages of Rio de Janeiro to temporarily intimidate him, buying them some time to complete the heist.
The afternoon shoot involved the scene where Dominic and Brian directly confronted Hobbs. Dominic and Brian decided to expose their location in an underground racetrack. As expected, Hobbs followed the lead and arrived. Just as the FBI agents were about to assert their dominance, they found themselves surrounded instead. After a tense standoff, Hobbs eventually chose a temporary compromise and left the scene.
In the "Fast & Furious" series, Dominic and Brian were undeniably the absolute core protagonists. Whether they were criminals or champions of justice, in the end, victory was theirs. Even FBI agents had to take a backseat.
In other words, today's scene placed Hobbs at a disadvantage, yet he couldn't be completely overshadowed by Dominic's forceful presence. Otherwise, introducing this new character in the fifth installment would lose its significance.
Although the story took place in Rio de Janeiro, the crew had built the set within Universal Studios' soundstage, simplifying the process. Though it was a bit of a hassle, it was still better than shooting on location in Rio, where the entire crew would face the threat of being surrounded by the mafia.
The set was all prepared, the crew was in position, the extras were ready, and the main actors started to make their entrances.
Vin smoothly rotated his shoulders, cracked his knuckles. The crisp sound of joints popping transformed his calm and composed smile into a dangerously serene one. In this moment, he had completely shed his inhibitions. Without concealing his intentions, he revealed them in their raw form. His gaze was firmly fixed on Renly, standing twenty yards away. It was as if a hunter was sizing up his prey, baring sharp claws, and a bloody aura lingered between his lips.
He was a born hunter, one who wouldn't miss his mark. Even if it were Dwayne Johnson coming over, he wouldn't be intimidated, let alone Renly. He wanted this young man to truly understand what it meant to be an action actor, what absolute strength was, and the concepts of respect and humility. And also, the harshness of reality.