The Greatest Showman #717 - Arrive One After Another

A powerful jolt shook Paul Walker's body, as if the ground beneath him had trembled. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus his blurry vision on the assistant's face. Instinctively, he raised a hand to shield his eyes. "I know, I know," he muttered, "I'll get up now." He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, still feeling the remnants of sleepiness, then closed his eyes and rested for a few more seconds. After silently counting down ten seconds in his mind, he sat up with a jolt. His hair was in disarray, but he remained in the same spot, staring blankly for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he threw the covers off and swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing up.

He pulled open the heavy curtains and peered outside. The world beyond was still dark and dreary. The night stretched on, thick with layers of ink-black darkness, as if everything around him had faded into a monochrome world. It finally hit Paul that this wasn't sunny Los Angeles anymore, but the UK, known for its unpredictable weather.

It was only four o'clock in the morning, and the earth was still sleeping. The silence was heavy, almost suffocating. The thick, inky gloom hung in the air, creating a feeling of eerie stillness.

Paul had come to the UK specifically to star in Edge of Tomorrow. Just three days ago, he'd thought this cameo might not even happen. He'd called Renly to apologize, explaining that the schedule was conflicting with his commitment to Fast & Furious 6, which was about to start filming. He had hoped they could find another actor for the role, as Edge of Tomorrow had yet to sign a contract with him, whereas Fast & Furious 6 was already in the bag.

However, things changed within just three days. A major upheaval took place within the Fast & Furious 6 crew. Vin Diesel and Michael Forte had clashed, with rumors swirling about issues with accountability. After Renly signed onto Edge of Tomorrow, the cast of Fast & Furious 6 demanded pay raises, pushing the budget up by nearly $20 million. This caused an uproar within Universal Pictures.

As a result, Michael was let go from the series, marking a huge shakeup for the Fast & Furious franchise. He'd been involved in all the previous films, and his departure sparked a wave of controversy.

Following Michael's exit, Paul, Alexander Dosta, and Clayton Townsend stepped in as producers to help stabilize the situation. However, the trouble didn't end there. Paul and other members of the team had ongoing disagreements regarding the production and story structure, and the situation remained unresolved.

Ultimately, Ron Meyer, the head of Universal Pictures, decided to film Fast & Furious 6 and 7 consecutively. This decision delayed the release schedule to spring or summer of 2013, with filming set to begin after the Oscars.

In the meantime, Paul packed his bags, flew across the ocean, and arrived in Hampshire just in time to join the Edge of Tomorrow crew, just before the official start of filming.

Today was the first day of filming, and Paul had arrived in the UK less than six hours ago.

The Edge of Tomorrow team had already been rehearsing and prepping for nearly two weeks, but Paul had missed all of it. He needed to quickly catch up on makeup, styling, script readings, and rehearsals before joining the shoot.

That's why he woke up at 4 a.m. - it was going to be a long and busy day for him.

After stretching and preparing himself, Paul entered the bathroom, washed up, and then headed out to the studio.

Leavesden, the small town where the filming was taking place, was home to a Warner Bros. studio. Despite being remote and somewhat unknown, it was a prime location for shooting with European-style settings like ports, forests, farms, and rural areas nearby. This studio had famously hosted the filming of several Harry Potter films.

The studio was a self-contained environment, with a designated living area for the actors. While most of the crew lived on the base, some of the bigger names had the option to rent private accommodations in nearby villages, including a castle that could be rented for a mere fifteen-minute drive away.

But Paul wasn't picky. He chose to stay on the base like the rest of the crew. The small town around the studio offered a peaceful setting, far from the distractions of the city.

After leaving his accommodations, Paul hopped into a golf cart, which took him on a ten-minute ride to the dressing room.

Studio No. 8 was where the first scenes would be filmed today. This was the location for the movie's version of an Air Force Base, which was actually Heathrow Airport in the film's storyline. The first scenes would focus on William Cage meeting the J team at this location.

Paul had expected to be one of the first people there, but when he walked into the dressing room, he was surprised by the hustle and bustle. It was filled with makeup artists, stylists, and actors—all moving quickly and efficiently to get ready. It was nothing like the quiet, early-morning atmosphere he had imagined.

"Hey, Paul," a petite woman said as she approached him. "I'm Abby Mills, the assistant for the show. If you need anything, just let me know, and I'll take care of it."

She smiled warmly and extended her hand to shake. "First thing you need to do is try on your costume. We ordered it based on the size your assistant sent us, but we still need to make sure it fits."

Paul nodded, relieved that he wasn't late. "Am I behind schedule?"

"No, not at all," Abby reassured him. "Everyone just got here early to get makeup done. The extras had to start at four, so the main actors followed the same schedule. We didn't expect it, but everything's going smoothly. There's no work for the actors yet, so they're just resting in the makeup area."

Paul let out a breath of relief and smiled. "Guess I'd better speed up."

Abby guided him to the fitting area, and as they passed through the makeup room, Paul noticed some familiar faces among the actors. He searched for Renly, but couldn't spot him. It wasn't surprising—Renly had always been known for working hard or sleeping hard during shoots, often opting for a quick nap between takes.

When Paul didn't see Renly, he decided to proceed with the fitting first and meet the actors later. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Renly—sleeping, as expected.