Luke suddenly realized that shooting King of Espionage was unlike any movie he'd worked on before. This time, it was fully funded and produced by Luke's own film studio—no more borrowing someone else's resources to get the job done.
That meant the key roles—lead actor, director, producer—were theirs to decide.
The producer role was a no-brainer; Mr. Eisen was the obvious pick, no need to dwell on that.
But what about the director? And the other major roles?
"Other than the female lead, which I've already got in mind, I figured you'd help me nail down the rest," Luke said.
"This is your movie, the one you're aiming to take down The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King with next year. I'm not getting in the middle of those decisions," Mr. Eisen replied. "I'll handle the logistics and make sure everything runs smoothly. Whether this movie sinks or swims is all on you."
Luke thought for a moment before asking, "How's Director Cohen doing these days?"
"Not great," Mr. Eisen answered.
"Then it's time I paid him a visit," Luke said, standing up from his chair.
…
The coffee shop in Douglasville.
The same one where Luke had his date with Yuffie. Where he first met Mr. Eisen. Where Director Cohen had solemnly handed him a bank card, promising to figure out the funding issues.
Luke never forgot that kindness. Without Director Cohen's help, his Hollywood journey wouldn't have taken off so smoothly.
Now, it was his turn to give Cohen a hand.
Luke had arranged to meet Director Cohen and Vin Diesel at the coffee shop. They hadn't arrived yet, so he sat alone, sipping on a café au lait—basically milk with a hint of coffee, loaded with sugar. Bitter black coffee was never his thing, no matter how much people raved about its rich aroma. For him, a sweet, milky drink with just a touch of coffee flavor was the way to go.
As he sipped his sugary café au lait, Luke thought about the meeting ahead. After filming The Fast and the Furious, he hadn't had a chance to work with Director Cohen again. They'd both been swamped with their own projects. Just like in the original timeline, Universal Pictures had taken the Fast and Furious sequel away from Cohen, and Vin Diesel missed out on starring in the second film.
Luke had seen it coming but didn't step in. It was Universal's movie, after all. If he'd tried to meddle, it could've soured their relationship and shut the door on future collaborations. Sometimes, you have to let people stumble.
Only after The Fast and the Furious 2 bombed at the box office would Universal realize Vin Diesel's value. That's when Luke could step in naturally.
As for Cohen and Diesel, they'd teamed up with Columbia Pictures to make xXx, just like in the original timeline. The movie hit theaters last month. If you only read the press releases, you'd think it was a smashing success—headlines about topping the weekend box office, pulling in $46 million in its opening week, and so on.
But Luke knew the truth. The movie was a flop. It scored a measly 5.6 on IMDb, a total disaster in terms of buzz. The box office tanked after the opening, limping to a global total of $130 million. That might sound decent, but with a $60 million budget, it likely lost money.
In the original timeline, xXx's sequel swapped out both the director and lead actor. Luke couldn't figure out why Columbia Pictures was so attached to the franchise—it lost money on almost every installment but kept churning out sequels, all the way to a fourth film.
For now, though, Cohen and Diesel were in a rough spot, hitting a low point in their careers. They'd planted the seeds for The Fast and the Furious, only to have someone else reap the rewards. They'd jumped to Columbia Pictures hoping to make a comeback with xXx, but it didn't pan out.
The world's a funny place—those who have, get more; those who don't, lose what little they've got. It's like the unspoken rule of the universe, or the cliché where someone says, "One last job, then I'm out," and ends up dead.
Luke saw his chance to pull them up. His King of Espionage needed talent, and now was the perfect time.
The door creaked open, and Director Cohen and Vin Diesel walked in.
"Director, Uncle, long time no see!" Luke stood with a smile, shaking their hands.
"Man, in just a year, you've shot up to heights I can't even touch," Cohen said with a sigh.
It had been a busy year for all of them. They'd kept in touch with occasional calls, but this was their first face-to-face in a while.
"My foundation's still shaky, so I'm here begging for your help," Luke said with a grin.
Cohen was touched. Luke was clearly here to throw him a lifeline, yet he framed it like he was the one needing help. Talk about giving face.
As the three sat down, Luke noticed Vin Diesel seemed down, quieter than usual. He spotted a new tattoo on Diesel's left leg: "O'Connor."
To an outsider, it might look like a nod to Paul Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, from The Fast and the Furious. But that wasn't it. The tattoo was for Harry O'Connor, Diesel's stunt double, who'd tragically died during the filming of xXx. The loss hit Diesel hard, making him realize just how tough action scenes could be.
Diesel used to watch Luke breeze through dangerous stunts like they were nothing, almost convincing him that action scenes weren't that risky. But Harry O'Connor's accident was a wake-up call, showing Diesel just how brave and extraordinary Luke was.
Seeing the two of them in low spirits, Luke didn't beat around the bush. He got straight to the point: "I'm about to start shooting King of Espionage, but I'm struggling to find the right people. I'd love for you, Director, to helm this project, and Uncle, I've got an important role for you. Would you guys do me the honor of helping out?"