All of the bonkers decisions pertaining to Fast X’s Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes come from a chaotic, but truly exciting place. One such choice even introduced a moment where director and Fast Saga superfan Louis Leterrier didn’t know how Vin Diesel was going to react. You see, it sounds like the infamous “Dommy” nickname that Dante gave his foe in this latest entry sounds like it was an improvisation choice that had even Leterrier lost in the moment.
Thanks to my recent interview with the writer/director on behalf of Fast X now being available for rental or purchase on digital and physical media, all sorts of fun stories like these were shared. As Universal was gracious enough to set up this press day, digging into all things Toretto v. Reyes was an easy feat that led to a lot of enthusiasm.
Of course, knowing that Louis Leterrier’s Fast fandom inspired specific choices for this ninth sequel already made the case that the Incredible Hulk director was the perfect choice to step in when previous director Justin Lin departed. Even with the series lore and formula firm in his mind, Leterrier shared with CinemaBlend his recollection of that moment, through this anecdote:
I was like, ‘Uh-oh.’ Because then I looked at Vin, and I was like, ‘Is he going to take it?’ But he used it. [Jason] was getting under Vin’s skin, and then Vin was keeping it [serious], was being stoic and strong, but also twisting his words. …There’s a moment in that tuner scene, where they’re like face to face and just have this moment where they mess with each other. The acting is brilliant on both sides, like they both, they twisted the knife in each other’s wounds so well. It was so good.
The scene in question harkens back to what Louis Leterrier wanted to bring back to the Fast movies: quarter-mile racing action. Using Dante Reyes as the villain of Fast X was a perfect vehicle for such a wish, as that 2011 entry in the Fast and Furious movies in order was the fork in the road that led to more espionage-flavored adventures like Furious 7.
With his unique understanding of a series he’s loved since his time making The Transporter, Louis is deep in the paint that is Fast X’s backstory. And when you’re that much of a fan, it tends to make for engrossing cinema. The only problem with that sort of love is, as you’ll read below, it can be a bit distracting while watching Jason Momoa call Vin Diesel made up nicknames:
Vin really goes for it. … These are moments where I forget to call ‘cut.’ I’m like watching the movie, I’m like ‘Oh no, it’s gonna blow!’ … There’s 25 - 50 times in the movie where I forgot to call ‘Cut,’ because I was watching this movie. I was just like, ‘Oh! Cut, cut, cut!’ I was like, ‘Ooh,’ literally [eating] popcorn.
To be fair, Louis Leterrier could have blown it big time when filming Fast X and the return to street racing in Brazil. As he previously admitted, it was hard to keep it together when watching Jason Momoa initially coin the name “Dommy.” So while he forgot to call time on a decent number of takes, at least he didn’t ruin any with untimely laughter. It’s always easier to trim some dead air than to cover up another more vocal form of enthusiasm.
Excitement is something that is definitely in the air for Fast X thanks to that film now being available for your home enjoyment. At the moment, digital and physical versions are on the market, whether you want to rent or own this latest joyride for your own. While we don’t know when it’ll be making its streaming debut, odds are you’ll want to have an active Peacock subscription when that time comes, as that’s the presumed finish line for this future streaming title.
