Fast 10 director Louis Leterrier has spoken about his love for Jason Momoa's villain, as well as what he asked franchise star Vin Diesel on their first Zoom call.
Leterrier told 12DOVE that when he had the chance to pick Vin Diesel's brains, he spoke about – you guessed it – family.
"He was on Zoom, exactly in this room. There was no advice and he wasn't testing me. He and I were talking story, character, theme – what matters about Fast and Furious," Letterier, who joined the movie after the sudden departure of director Justin Lin, said of their first (virtual) meeting.
"I was asking him a lot of questions [such as] was the family thing an idea from the beginning? Or did it become a reality as they were shooting? He gave me straight answers, like [the first Fast and Furious] was an action movie about cops and [robbers] getting to work together," Leterrier explains.
He continues, "Frankly, his relationship with Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, and Michelle Rodriguez became so strong that they became as much of a family off-screen as they were on-screen.
"I can tell you that is absolutely the truth. They are so close, and care so much for each other. There's no BS. It's really driven by this sense of community, of family, and common good. It's done because they really respect the audience."
Unfortunately for the Fast Family in Fast 10, Jason Momoa's Dante is aiming to tear them apart. The chaotic force of nature is one that Leterrier, a self-confessed fan of the series, describes as the franchise's best villain.
"Jason brought Jason. He created a character, but I met a man I've never met before and we sort of fell in love," Leterrier gushes.
"My sense of humor, his sense of humor, the switch of tones between purely hilarious to cold-blooded and terrifying. I loved it. I was a violinist about to play with a Stradivarius, the greatest villain of the franchise and, frankly, the greatest villain of my career. Then I rock solo'd the hell out of him. We went crazy for each other and the movie."
Fast 10 is released in cinemas worldwide on May 19.
For more on what's coming your way, check out our guide to movie release dates. If you're still in a Fast mood, there's also our rankings of the best Fast and Furious movies and a new way to relive Dom's adventures in our guide on how to watch the Fast and Furious movies in order.
