The Greatest Showman #1304 - Plan Ahead

"Renly?" Paul's voice cut through his thoughts, his tone laced with concern. He half-joked, "Did you wake up too early this morning? Not enough sleep, affecting your focus? God, you've been on vacation for so long, and you're still not getting enough rest?"

All the work on The Norton Show had finally wrapped up. Ed, Daniel, and Robbie had all left the studio, making room for the upcoming Man of Steel crew. However, neither Russell Crowe nor Kevin Costner had arrived yet. The only person remaining in the waiting room was Henry Cavill, alone and waiting.

Renly and Paul had left as well.

As for Diesel, after making his dramatic entrance into the studio, he had completely disappeared. No one knew why he had come, nor how the situation had been resolved. He had simply shown up and left, as though nothing had happened.

Paul stood in front of Renly, his mood slightly affected but overall still upbeat. He seemed blissfully unaware of Diesel's true intentions, which caused Renly to silently sigh. After a pause, Renly spoke with a hint of seriousness. "I've been thinking about Vin Diesel."

Instead of hiding his concerns, Renly addressed Paul directly. "Do you know what he's planning?"

Paul furrowed his brow slightly, shaking his head. "I don't know. Things have always been fine in the past."

Renly let out a small, disbelieving laugh. "Are you sure?"

Paul gave it some thought. "I mean, yeah, conflicts happen. He and Dwayne are both tough guys, both used to resolving things with their fists. There are always quarrels in the process, but nothing major. At least they've never actually fought. And Jason's a good guy. He has nothing to do with it. We get along well. In fact, I'm meeting up with him this afternoon. We're going to check out some speakeasy bars and an underground racetrack. Want to join?"

Renly smiled, shaking his head. "Paul, do you ever wonder why Diesel and Dwayne are at odds? And what Jason's attitude was when they were arguing?"

Paul thought for a moment, then slowly followed Renly's line of questioning. "It's all about the filming," he said, sounding sure of himself. "Fan got some injuries. Most of the scenes were done with stunt doubles, and in the close-up shots, he insisted on using a double as well. The argument was over that, but everything's for the sake of the film. Jason didn't really say anything, but he did become closer to Dwayne off-screen. But that's normal. They both joined the crew at the same time."

Renly raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect that."

When they filmed Fast & Furious 5, despite the personal conflict between him and Diesel, Renly knew Diesel always put his work into the role. He never slacked off. So this time, what had changed? Was he really hurt, or was it something else? Perhaps his ego was getting in the way.

It started to make sense. As Diesel's career seemed to stall, the Fast & Furious franchise had become more important to him. It was a series that defined his position in Hollywood, and his grip on power, status, and influence had only grown more intense.

"Paul," Renly said, speaking plainly now, "Fan is trying to turn the Fast & Furious series into his personal stage, his own brand."

"The conflict between me and him has carried over to Dwayne. Now Jason's also chosen to side with Dwayne."

Paul's eyes widened, and he stood frozen for a moment, processing Renly's words. This time, however, he didn't immediately argue.

Paul wasn't one for drama. He didn't enjoy the scheming or power games of Hollywood, preferring instead to focus on the work and enjoy the relationships he had with his colleagues. Fame, power, and control had always seemed less important to him.

But as Renly's words sank in, Paul couldn't help but ask, "Why? Why can't he be content? You've left the crew, what more does he want? Does he want Dwayne and Jason to leave too? Is that what this is about? Is he trying to push me out next?"

Renly smiled but didn't answer right away.

Paul froze again, his mind processing everything. The puzzle pieces were falling into place. Diesel wasn't acting out of impulse, but with a purpose. He was trying to assert his dominance over the Fast & Furious franchise, to prove he was irreplaceable, even if it meant clashing with Renly and the Norton Show team.

Diesel wasn't reckless; this was a calculated move. Renly had seen it before, and now Paul was beginning to see it too.

Paul scratched his head in frustration. "Why can't he just enjoy the work? There have been so many amazing moments during filming. Why can't we appreciate those? After all these years, after all the success, why can't he be happy with where we are?"

Renly remained quiet. There were no easy answers to this. As much as Paul wanted things to be simple and harmonious, the reality of Hollywood was far from it. Greed, ego, and ambition could easily overshadow everything else, no matter how much they had achieved.

"Paul," Renly said gently, "I'm not asking you to make a decision right now. I just want you to stay vigilant. This won't be the last time something like this happens."

The confrontation in the waiting room earlier replayed in Paul's mind, Diesel's eyes sharp with aggression. Paul had initially thought Diesel was just throwing a tantrum, but now he understood the deeper meaning behind it.

"I get it," Paul finally said, nodding in understanding. Then, with a rueful smile, he added, "If I lose my job one day, I'll start teaching surfing at Santa Monica Beach. I won't starve."

Renly chuckled. "If that day comes, I'll be your free spokesperson."

Paul laughed, clearly lightening up. "You'd better not forget, Renly. Nathan and Roy heard you say that, and they're the best witnesses."

Nathan and Roy exchanged amused glances. They had been quietly observing the conversation, pretending not to listen, but now they couldn't pretend anymore. Roy smirked, "Don't worry. I'll make sure to mark it down in Renly's work calendar."

Later, as Renly accompanied Paul back to his hotel, Nathan drove slowly toward Notting Hill.

"Renly," Nathan finally asked, unable to hold his frustration in, "Are you really just going to let it go? Diesel's being a jerk. Paul's thinking about him, but Diesel never considers Paul's feelings. If he was truly big-hearted, he wouldn't have quit filming the sequels in the first place."

Renly chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm no angel, Nathan."

The breakdown of Fast & Furious 6's cooperation was a shared responsibility. Diesel had his role in it, but Renly had his part too. Objectively, it wasn't fair to blame it all on Diesel.

But that was only part of it. Renly's statement wasn't just a remark—it had a double meaning. As he pulled out his phone and dialed a number, the voice on the other end quickly answered.

"Renly," came Andy's annoyed voice, "You'd better be in a hurry, or I'm going to explode right now."