The last time Matthew came to London, his flight experienced a mechanical failure, and he nearly ended up in pieces on the ground. This time, he avoided commercial flights altogether, opting to charter a Gulfstream G550 business jet instead.
Before making the trip, Matthew had even taken the time to visit Gulfstream's facilities, finalizing the purchase of a Gulfstream G650 with upgraded luxury configurations. The total cost? A staggering $75 million.
Of course, for Matthew, this was hardly a concern. The profits from The Hunger Games alone more than covered the expense.
Once in London, Matthew immediately joined the production team.
The crew had already been filming in London for over half a month. Under Justin Lin's direction, they had been shooting scenes that didn't require the male lead at Pinewood Studios. The goal was to wrap up filming entirely by the end of December.
Matthew's arrival injected fresh energy into the production, accelerating the pace. Most of the team had already collaborated on two previous films, making the working relationships seamless and efficient.
The outdoor set at Pinewood Studios had been fully taken over by the crew, with custom backdrops designed to replicate locations unsuitable for real-world street shoots. Each filming day began with the roar of car engines, a sound that echoed across the set.
As a movie centered around high-octane street racing, the production featured a dazzling array of luxury and performance cars. From Mercedes-Benz muscle cars tailored specifically for Matthew, to American classics like Dodge Rams, as well as European supercars like Ferraris and Paganis, the lineup was breathtaking. There were also heavily modified cars, including a vintage 1960s Dodge Charger, military-grade off-road vehicles, and a steel-reinforced monster-style F1 car.
For fans and enthusiasts, these vehicles weren't just eye candy—they were the stuff of dreams.
Initially, Matthew and Justin Lin had planned to shoot the sixth and seventh installments back-to-back, given the interconnected nature of their stories. However, they eventually abandoned the idea due to the logistical challenges of aligning the schedules of the large cast and crew.
Now, the series' main actors were all stars in their own right, with varying levels of fame. Outside of Fast & Furious, they each had other commitments and projects.
Ultimately, Matthew decided to focus on completing the sixth installment first, with plans to shoot the seventh next year.
Justin Lin also introduced planes and tanks into the sixth film, pushing the boundaries of vehicular stunts. He wanted to explore the limits of what could be achieved with collisions and see just how far the "racing family" could go.
Perhaps one day, this family might even take their races to space. For now, though, they remained firmly Earth-bound.
"Matthew!"
In the dimly lit soundstage, Justin Lin called out. Seeing Matthew give a thumbs-up, he turned to the other side of the set and shouted, "Jason!"
Jason Statham, sporting his signature sharp looks, returned the thumbs-up.
"Action!" Justin Lin commanded.
The sound of a car engine roared as a rust-colored modified race car, driven by Jason Statham, rolled through an underground parking garage and came to a stop beside the concrete platform where Matthew stood.
The car door opened, and Jason stepped out, fixing his gaze on Matthew. "Long time no see, Shawn."
Matthew's expression remained impassive as he nodded. "What do you want, Owen?"
"I've got a big job," Jason replied, eyeing Matthew closely. "I've assembled a team. Join us."
Matthew jumped down from the platform and said evenly, "Owen, you and I are not the same."
Jason shrugged nonchalantly. "We're both mercenaries. Whoever pays gets our loyalty. And you say we're not the same?" He bent into the car and pulled out a bag, tossing it to Matthew. "Take a look."
Matthew caught the bag, opened it, and found it stuffed with cash—nearly a million pounds, at first glance.
"That's just the deposit," Jason said coolly.
"Oh?" Matthew's tone was unreadable. "You've landed a big score? Owen, take my advice—don't go too far."
Standing across the car from Matthew, Jason leaned against the vehicle. "Are you in or out?"
Matthew zipped the bag shut and tossed it back to Jason. "I'm a man of principles."
Jason caught the bag and couldn't help but laugh. "The infamous mercenary Shawn has principles and a code of ethics?"
Spreading his arms, he added, "Who would believe that?"
Matthew didn't respond, simply staring at Jason in silence.
Seeing that Matthew wasn't budging, Jason stopped laughing. After a moment of tense eye contact, he nodded, got back into his car, started the engine, and drove off.
"Cut!" Justin Lin called out at just the right moment. "Great work, Matthew! Great work, Jason!"
This scene, depicting a subtle standoff between two powerful figures, perfectly captured the relationship between Shawn and Owen—acquainted, even familiar, but not yet adversarial.
As Jason drove off set, Matthew stepped out. Jason soon returned, grinning.
"It's always a thrill acting with you," Jason complimented.
"It's mutual," Matthew replied, gracious as ever. "Jason, your commanding presence is truly one of a kind."
It was rare for Hollywood to have an actor like Jason Statham with such an iconic blend of charisma and toughness.
Matthew had planned to chat a bit longer, but a tall, blonde woman approached Jason, her demeanor suggesting a close relationship. Recognizing Jason's girlfriend, Matthew decided to step back. He accepted a water bottle from his assistant, took a sip, and sat in the rest area.
Still, he couldn't help but glance at Jason and his girlfriend.
The woman was Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, a former Victoria's Secret Angel. Matthew remembered her from a few years back when David Ellison had reportedly rented a room with her after a Victoria's Secret show. Later, during the Transformers 3 promotional tour, there were rumors of her antics with Michael Bay on a plane.
But such stories were par for the course with Victoria's Secret models. It was as routine as eating, drinking, or working out for them.
Matthew saw nothing unusual about Jason and Rosie's relationship. After all, Hollywood relationships, like most modern ones, were hardly immune to breakups and reconciliations.
In today's world, what woman wouldn't kiss a few frogs before finding her prince?
Fifteen minutes later, shooting resumed. Once again, the focus was on Matthew and Jason's scenes together. According to Justin Lin's schedule, the next two days were dedicated to filming their interactions as well as Matthew's solo scenes.
The day's shoot went smoothly. While other actors wrapped up and left, Matthew stayed behind with Justin Lin to discuss the next phases of filming and production in Pinewood's post-production studio.
By this point in the Fast & Furious series, it was inevitable to incorporate elements beyond racing. This was a key focus of Matthew and Justin's discussions.
Although car racing was a staple of action films, few movies had blended street racing, car modifications, and extreme sports into popular culture as successfully as Fast & Furious.
With the massive success of Fast & Furious 4 and 5, the sixth installment had to continue pushing boundaries, particularly in how it showcased car culture and racing.
"I've incorporated more action elements into the set designs," Justin explained, handing Matthew the storyboard. "But all the action scenes still revolve around cars as the central theme."
He hesitated briefly before adding, "Someone suggested we reduce the action sequences to make room for more story development."
"Who suggested that?" Matthew asked without hesitation. "Fire them immediately."
Justin nodded slowly. "It was an executive producer. I didn't think it was a good idea either."
Matthew was firm. "What we need is a simple, coherent story."
A good story was essential, but spending too much time on unnecessary narrative risks alienating the audience.
Matthew also knew Justin Lin had faced criticism during the releases of the last two Fast & Furious films, largely because of his association with Matthew.
Unlike Matthew, who was relatively impervious to such critiques, Justin had been affected. But Matthew refused to let Fast & Furious cater to a niche audience.
Some people would always criticize blockbuster films. If the story wasn't complex, they'd call it dumb. Add depth, and they'd call it pretentious. Focus solely on racing, and it was monotonous. Incorporate other elements, and it was too far-fetched.
At the end of the day, could a series with six installments rely on a single element to keep audiences engaged? Not everyone watched just to count car models on screen.
Ultimately, this was still a commercial action film.
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