In the Fast and the Furious franchise, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham’s characters just can’t lose – it’s in their contracts.

Due to the stipulations in their contracts, it was tough choreographing fight scenes for certain actors in the Fast and the Furious franchise. Some celebrities have reportedly made outrageous demands in their contracts in order to appear in certain films, shows, and more. While some of their requests are understandable, some of them might be a little harder to work with.

Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel all have stipulations in their contracts that state the stars can’t be on the losing side of a fight. This makes it harder to choreograph the intense fight scenes between the actors. When two characters fight, one of them is supposed to win, right? It was tough choreographing fight scenes between certain actors in the Fast and the Furious franchise due to stipulations in their contracts.

It Was Tough Finding A Way To Choreograph Fight Scenes Between Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel and Jason Statham

While some action heroes don’t mind taking an on-screen beating before they take down the bad guy, it seems others aren’t so keen on the idea. Some celebrities make certain demands for their hotel or dressing rooms. Others have demands or clauses in their contracts for what happens to their characters or what they do on-screen.

It appears some action stars are intent on having an unbeatable image in their on-screen roles, which is evident by certain stipulations in their contracts.

When Statham and Johnson were brought into the Fast and the Furious franchise, which Diesel was in from the beginning, the plot called for various fights involving their three characters throughout the films.

None of them wanted to lose a brawl, apparently believing it would make them appear weak (or at least, weaker than their co-stars). The three had to work out a way to fight each other, only with no actual losers.

According to IndieWire, the Wall Street Journal reported that the three actors first tried using a points system Diesel came up with for their fights. However, it was too hard to keep up with.

“Mr. Diesel’s points plan was eventually abandoned once everyone decided it was too complicated…but it was an example of the delicate balance that must be reached on every set the men are on.”

What Are The Stipulations In Their Contracts?

The Fast and the Furious franchise has become an incredibly popular film series. Adding top celebrities such as Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron to the cast throughout the franchise has contributed to its success.

However, in a franchise that includes so many A-listers, some egos can clash. Not all celebrities are able to work well together. When Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson were added to the cast, they and Vin Diesel had to work out certain stipulations in their contracts involving their fight scenes, supposedly worried they would seem weak.

Their contracts state that there shouldn’t be a clear winner or loser. Basically, when they fight, there is no real outcome. According to LADBible, the three have an “equal pain” clause. “If one character takes a big hit, then the others have to as well.”

According to Screen Rant, a report from the Wall Street Journal article explained how Diesel, Johnson and Statham worked out stipulations in their contracts so that none of them would look like they’d lost a fight to a co-star.

“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 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 always make sure he gives as good as he gets.”

While this can make their characters appear unstoppable, it can also make choreographing their scenes a complicated process. According to Geek Tyrant, “Statham would swing by the editing room to weigh in on fight scenes.”

Diesel’s sister also comments at times. For example during one scene she said, “He’s falling down there. Is he going to get his licks back in?”

To make sure their contracts are followed, the three stars have had producers work with them to make sure the fights are equal, with no clear loser.

How Do They Pull Off Fight Scenes With No Real Losers?

Some celebrities will make outrageous demands for performances or to appear in a film or a show. Some of their requests are about the characters they’re playing.

In the Fast and the Furious franchise, the fight sequences between Vin Diesel, Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson aren’t supposed to have any known winners, according to their contracts.

In some scenes, they have found a way for the fights to end with no clear winner – many of them get interrupted or changed. For example, according to the Evening Standard, “there was one scene that required Johnson to be lying on the floor at Diesel’s feet. But Johnson insisted he should be standing up instead.”

Several of the fight scenes between the actors are interrupted. One of Diesel and Statham’s fights is stopped “when a helicopter fires a missile at the car park they are standing on that splits the ground beneath them.” Another fight between the two is interrupted by a prison riot.

When Michael Fottrell, a producer on several of the films, was asked if the way the fights were choreographed might have anything to do with the actors’ vanity, he said, “no comment”, before adding, “Of course it does!”

A spokesperson for Universal told the Wall Street Journal, “the fights ensure ‘every character has their moment, and all are seen as formidable opponents. Each Fast character is a hero to someone watching, and we never forget that.’”