Hollywood had a relatively fixed template for selecting male leads in blockbuster films. Although Renly had already proven his abilities in "Fast 5", it wasn't enough. Large film production companies like Universal Pictures were not willing to take unnecessary risks. If they could reach a cooperation agreement with Renly, just like Chris Evans did for "Captain America", that would be the perfect scenario.
If it were only this, there was no need for Michael Fottrell's attitude to be so domineering and arrogant. They could sit down at opposite ends of the negotiating table, slowly discuss, tug-of-war, and calmly calculate; they could approach it rationally. This was Hollywood; missing out on today's collaboration didn't mean there wouldn't be collaboration tomorrow, unless they were arch-enemies like Jeffrey Katzenberg, one of the big three at DreamWorks, and former Disney CEO Michael Eisner. No one would tear their faces apart.
Dwayne Johnson missed "Fast 5" and eventually joined "The Expendables", but his relationship with Universal Pictures wasn't affected much.
However, this was the "Fast & Furious" series, which belonged to Vin Diesel. When Universal Pictures was filming the fourth installment, one of Vin's conditions for returning was to be a producer, and not just in name; he was a genuine decision-maker. Therefore, it was evident in both the fourth and fifth films that the crucial climactic scenes belonged to Vin, with Paul almost reduced to a supporting role, particularly in the fifth film.
Vin was originally the producer of the series and had close relationships with many high-ranking executives at Universal Pictures. During the filming of the fifth installment, the conflicts and contradictions between Vin and Renly were not a secret within Universal Pictures. When discussing the sequel, how to handle the relationship between Vin and Renly became the most challenging problem.
Clearly, Vin was indispensable for the "Fast & Furious" series, while Renly was not.
However, this time, Vin played it smart. Instead of directly targeting Renly, he made statements about the entire project.
First, the real protagonist of this series was not Vin, nor was it Paul; it was the racing itself, a force that no actor should overshadow, and no actor could overshadow. Second, the impressive performance of "Fast 5" in the summer box office was due to the entire crew's efforts. If salaries were to be increased, then all the actors should be rewarded, especially the veterans who had been part of the series since the first film. Third, the role allocation for the two sequels should serve the storyline, not revolve around the actors. Besides Renly, the other actors should also have an increased role.
By speaking wholeheartedly for the film and considering the company's interests, Vin managed to secure Universal Pictures' support even further.
In recent times, Renly's rising momentum had been exceptionally fierce. From the accolades during the awards season, which were no less impressive than Natalie Portman's; to the increasing fame brought about by a series of news events, Renly's excellent reputation had gradually spread. Then, with the summer box office sweep, the media and netizens were paying full attention. It was not an exaggeration to say that Renly was currently the hottest star in town. At such a time, Universal Pictures was actually seriously considering the possibility of a spin-off, which would undoubtedly further boost Renly's reputation. It also meant that in the salary negotiations, Universal Pictures would further lose its advantage.
In Vin Diesel's words, "We need to show our fist."
Within Universal Pictures, there had been heated debates. Some believed that they shouldn't mention the spin-off film for now, but instead, they should focus entirely on the two sequel films, showing enough sincerity to invite Renly to be a part of the series. They should proceed with negotiations in a softer manner. Not only because of Renly's promising future potential but also because CAA was not to be trifled with.
However, this view faced opposition. The main reason was that the spin-off film was urgent. Since they planned to film the two sequels together, releasing the spin-off film before the sixth installment was a way to seize the recent hot trend, reduce the risk of failure, and avoid the uncertainties that might arise after the two sequels were released.
In the end, Michael made the final decision. To prevent a repeat of the Dwayne Johnson incident, they decided to take a more assertive approach, seize the high ground, and curb Renly's enthusiasm before continuing with further negotiations. Ultimately, Renly's shallow foundation lacked the necessary deterrence and posed no real threat, which only fueled the major film companies' hardline stance.
From Andy's perspective, the 0.5% box office share of "Fast 5" was a thorn in Universal Pictures' side, and this was one of the key reasons for Michael's unyielding stance. Now, the only uncertainty was whether Ron Meyer, the CEO, knew about it and held a particular attitude. This was crucial for the upcoming negotiations.
However, compared to Ron and Michael, what truly caught Andy's attention was Vin Diesel.
Andy knew that, for Universal Pictures, it all boiled down to profit distribution. As long as it was profitable, they would be willing to compromise. Just as it had happened during the filming of the fifth installment, even Vin could be sacrificed for the smooth progress of the production. So, Ron and Michael were not the main issues. But Vin was different.
There was a personal feud between Vin and Renly. Andy was very firm and certain that Vin would not easily back down. Once Renly gained the upper hand in terms of salary and profit sharing, Vin's rights and advantages within the crew would be reduced. This also meant that their ongoing standoff would continue in future shoots, and, more importantly, Vin might end up on the losing side.
Vin was a clever man; he would fully leverage his strengths.
So, how should Andy respond?
Discussions about the sequels of "Fast & Furious" had just begun, and it was destined to be a marathon negotiation. No one would easily give in. However, it seemed that everyone had forgotten one key point—Paul Walker.
Not only on the "Fast & Furious" set but also in Hollywood and daily life, Paul was an incredibly low-key person. He was diligent, honest, and dedicated, always immersed in his work. He had no ambitions, never sought attention, avoided conflicts, and wasn't greedy. To put it positively, he was dedicated to his craft. Negatively, he had a low profile.
Although Paul wasn't a producer for the "Fast & Furious" series, he was an OG of the series, just like Jordana Brewster and Vin Diesel. He was a crucial part of the crew. Compared to Jordana, Paul had been the absolute male lead since the first installment, and his influence within the crew was not to be underestimated.
But this time, when it came to discussions about the sequels, Paul's name had never come up, which truly left people puzzled. Could it be that Paul wasn't planning to renew his contract and would give up appearing in the upcoming sequels? If not, why had Paul disappeared? Or had he gone off to surf at that secluded, hidden beach again?
Not long after, Andy received concrete information, and the answer was truly amusing and perplexing: Paul had appeared on the set of "Detachment" in person.
Nathan received a notification from the production team and came to the playground outside the school building. He immediately spotted Paul, who was wearing a brilliant smile on his face. Nathan couldn't help but be stunned and quickly walked up to him. "Paul, is it really you? When they told me just now, I thought they were playing a prank. How did you come here?"
Paul chuckled, "I came here for a set visit. I thought you guys could use some iced coffee." He patted Nathan's shoulder and pointed behind him. A mobile coffee truck was parked in a parking space by the road. The staff on break had formed a long line in front of it, all wearing happy smiles. "By the way, I prepaid for a hundred cups. Is that enough, or should I add more?"
"Uh... it's enough, it's enough," Nathan nodded repeatedly. "There are fewer than sixty people on the set today during shooting. It's sufficient."
"What about Renly? What does he want to drink?" Paul put his hands on his hips and exhaled lightly, seeming quite satisfied with the effect his set visit gift had created. "Last time I was in Seattle, he said he didn't get to taste my set visit gift. Today, I made a special trip to deliver it to him. But I remember when he was on the set, he only drank black coffee without sugar or milk, is that right?"
"No, that's not it," Nathan laughed. "During "Fast 5", Renly needed to control his diet, and his fight scenes every day were intense, requiring high concentration. So he drank black coffee then. Usually, he doesn't drink coffee that often." As he spoke, Nathan began to reminisce and mumbled to himself, "Could it be because he's British? He drinks different types of coffee at different times, like after a meal, he absolutely won't drink a latte, and the same goes for afternoon tea."
True aristocrats have very strict demands regarding every detail of life. Different meals and desserts are chosen at different times. For example, in the case of a latte, the Italian method involves adding pure milk, while the American approach adds milk froth. This means that it inherently contains sugar and is typically only consumed during breakfast. If someone were to choose a latte after lunch or during afternoon tea, it would seem like they're saying, "I haven't eaten enough" or "I need to replenish sugar," which would be considered impolite for aristocrats.
Paul and Nathan exchanged glances but couldn't find an answer. "Well, I'll go ask Renly in person, then," Paul said. He looked around but didn't see Renly. "Where is he? Is he preparing for the next scene's shooting? How's Renly's recent state? Is everything okay?" Paul raised his eyebrows, inquiring with a meaningful expression, "Is Renly doing well lately?"
"He's doing very well," Nathan replied without hesitation and nodded matter-of-factly. "He spends a lot of time thinking, but overall, his condition is excellent." This was the truth, especially when compared to his "50/50" days. "It's break time now, but the next scene is about to start."
Paul lowered his jaw slightly and said, "No problem. I can wait here for a bit. It works out perfectly—I can observe from the sidelines."