Hollywood beats WWE in terms of giving protection to its stars from getting hurt while performing a scripted scene. We often see WWE stars being brutally injured inside the squared circle, something that we barely witness in Hollywood action films.
You might wonder what is the reason that the top action stars always win on the big screen and never end up being beaten up. For the answer you just have to look at the careers of the top three action stars which include Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, and Jason Statham. The trio became a brand after showcasing their amazing acting and screen presence in the Fast and Furious movie series.
Dwayne Johnson and two top stars had a contractual obligation to not lose fights
The Fast and Furious franchise stars also have a bunch of other action movies on their belts. They, however, not only resemble each other in the choice of the genre but are also bound by a common denominator that ensures they don’t lose any on-screen fight. To be more elaborate, the actors have been in a contract to win their fights as a part of their projected superiority.
A report from Wall Street Journal spilled the tea of their bizarre contract, unveiling some unusual fighting clause at least in the case of their Fast and Furious involvement.
The report says, ‘‘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. 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.”
While the limiting area of the contracts is still unclear, it seems like it makes little sense in reality except for the actors being made to look larger than life on-screen.
Was the contract obligation truly beneficial for Johnson, Statham, and Diesel?
Whether the stipulations applied to all the action movies apart from the Fast and Furious series is still a mystery. The philosophy on which the contract is based is pretty clear, nevertheless. It simply stands for keeping the larger-than-life image of the action superstars intact. But you have the full right to question why is it applied to a reality-based film like Fast and Furious.
The clause would be a perfect fit for any fantasy-based story, rather. When it comes to Fast and Furious, fans expect the more realistic shades of the characters with win, defeat, and everything in between. It doesn’t suit to be one-sided at all.
So, while apparently, it seems like Johnson and the other two co-actors had extra benefits along with their big-digit remuneration, it came at the cost of the appeal of their characters.
