With Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw currently raking in the cash at the box office, The Wall Street Journal has posted an interesting article which claims that franchise stars Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham and Vin Diesel each have specific “fight contracts” to ensure that their characters come off as tough as possible during the movies’ various fight scenes.
According to the report, during rehearsals for Fast & Furious 7, Vin Diesel came up with a points system, where numerical values were assigned to various blows and attacks, so that they could ensure – mathematically – that punishment was dished out equally and that Dominic Toretto never ended up on the losing side of a dust up.
Diesel’s points plan was reportedly scrapped, not because of how ridiculous it was, but rather how complicated it became for the crew to keep track during the action sequences.
Statham meanwhile has apparently negotiated an agreement with studio Universal which limits the amount of on-screen punishment his character Deckard Shaw can take, while The Rock insists that Luke Hobbs “always gives as good as he gets”.
SEE ALSO: Read our review of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw here
“[The fights ensure] every character has their moment, and that all are seen as formidable opponents,” a Universal spokesperson is quoted as telling WSJ. “Each Fast & Furious character is a hero to someone watching, and we never forget that.”
Ever since hulking lawman Hobbs (Johnson), a loyal agent of America’s Diplomatic Security Service, and lawless outcast Shaw (Statham), a former British military elite operative, first faced off in 2015’s Furious 7, the duo have swapped smack talk and body blows as they’ve tried to take each other down.
But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton (Idris Elba) gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever — and bests a brilliant and fearless rogue MI6 agent (The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby), who just happens to be Shaw’s sister — these two sworn enemies will have to partner up to bring down the only guy who might be badder than themselves.
Hobbs & Shaw blasts open a new door in the Fast universe as it hurtles action across the globe, from Los Angeles to London and from the toxic wasteland of Chernobyl to the lush beauty of Samoa.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is being directed by David Leitch (John Wick, Deadpool 2) and will see the return of Dwayne Johnson (Luke Hobbs), Jason Statham (Deckard Shaw) and Helen Mirren (Magdalene Shaw) alongside franchise newcomers Idris Elba (Luther), Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible – Fallout), Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan), and Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Driver).
Originally published August 4, 2019. Updated August 5, 2019.
