3 Fast And Furious Stars Have A Rare Contract Clause With A Wild Demand
Time has proven over the last two decades that "Fast and Furious" saga stars Vin Diesel, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Jason Statham are always willing to throw and take their share of punches in the movies. Surprisingly, though, the three actors have clauses in their respective contracts as to just how excessive the fights they engage in can be.
In 2019, The Wall Street Journal ferreted out the trio of stars' contract provisions to discover how each actor dictates how the action will go with their respective characters — right down to the number of punches they will take in a single movie.
”According to producers and crew members on the films, Mr. Statham, 51 years old, negotiated an agreement with the studio that limits how badly he can be beaten up on the screen," the publication reported. "Mr. Diesel, 52, has his younger sister, a producer on the films, police the number of punches he takes. And Mr. Johnson, 47, enlists producers, editors, and fight coordinators to help make sure he always gives as good as he gets."
In short, it seems that none of the stars want to lose a fight with each other since their egos — not bodies — would get bruised. After all, no one becomes an action star by getting bested by their rival (or, in this case, rivals), on screen. It's an issue that can't be prevented, though, since fights in the "Fast and Furious" films are generally key elements to the action.
The contributions the stars have made to the Fast and Furious franchise merit the demands
It makes sense that Vin Diesel can call the shots with what happens with his franchise character, Dominic Toretto. After all, he's been the face of the "Fast and Furious" movie franchise since he starred opposite the late Paul Walker in the first movie in the series, "The Fast and the Furious," in 2001.
In addition to toplining all 10 of the "Fast and Furious" films to date, Diesel has served as a producer on every chapter in the saga since the fourth film, 2009's "Fast & Furious." Dwayne Johnson's and Jason Statham's contract stipulations are equally merited, given their participation in the franchise has been just as vital to the success of the "Fast and Furious" films as Diesel's turn as Toretto.
A report in USA Today (via The Guardian) in 2019 suggested that the trio's contract stipulation stemmed from Johnson's and Diesel's feud, which resulted in Johnson's vow that he was done with the "Fast and Furious" franchise. "It's not always easy being an alpha. And it's two alphas," Johnson told USA Today about the hubbub between the two actors. An unnamed editor told in the same USA Today article that physicality in the "Fast and Furious" movies is an issue the stars worry about. "It's like that old trope where an actor comes in and wants more closeups," the editor said. "They want more muscles."
Of course, Johnson's and Diesel's feud has since been settled, as implied by the post-credits cameo Johnson made in 2023's "Fast X." Whether Johnson and Statham will be back for "Fast and Furious 11" — along with their wild contract demands — is a question that remains unanswered.