In the late 1990s, Jason Statham transitioned from athletics and modeling to the big screen, and the very first person to give the actor a chance was director Guy Ritchie, however, over 20 years later, it seems that Statham and Ritchie are going in separate directions, and furthermore, Statham has found his new collaborator. Over the course of his career, Jason Statham has made a name for himself in the action genre, appearing in franchises like Fast & Furious and The Expendables. Now, in 2024, the actor seems to be on a brand new winning streak.
For more context, the first movie that Jason Statham ever appeared in was a Guy Ritchie movie called Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, in the role of Bacon. Despite Ritchie being quite a famous director, he took a chance on Statham, and this ultimately led to a fruitful action career. Since then, Statham and Ritchie have collaborated three more times on movies, like Snatch, Revolver, and Wrath of Man. Overall, Jason Statham has a lot to thank Guy Ritchie for, however, he may have found a brand new director to return to over and over again.
The Beekeeper & Levon’s Trade Turn David Ayer Into Jason Statham’s Guy Ritchie Replacement
Jason Statham’s new collaborator is David Ayer
In 2023, Jason Statham starred in three different installments of three different franchises, but none of these films amounted to the fresh success he saw during 2024’s The Beekeeper. Directed by David Ayer, The Beekeeper tells the story of an introverted beekeeper who, after his landlady dies due to a phishing scam, seeks out the people who caused her death to take revenge. Jason Statham led the movie as Adam Clay, along with Josh Hutcherson, Emmy Raver-Lampman, and Jeremy Irons. The Beekeeper’s box office ended up grossing $152 million on a $40 million budget.
Soon after The Beekeeper’s success, it was announced that Jason Statham and David Ayer would be reuniting once again for a second film called Levon’s Trade. This back-to-back collaboration between Statham and Ayer doesn’t seem like a coincidence. In fact, it seems like Statham and Ayer are taking advantage of their recent success by popping out another. Statham’s new action movie will not only bring the actor and director back together, but it also has a much more star-studded cast and crew than The Beekeeper. This insinuates that Levon’s Trade may be even bigger than their previous project.
What We Know About Levon’s Trade, Statham & Ayer’s Next Movie
Levon’s Trade explained
Levon’s Trade is a movie with a screenplay written by action legend Sylvester Stallone, and is based on a novel of the same name by Chuck Dixon. It tells the story of a man named Levon Cade who leaves behind his career as a black ops agent for a normal life with his daughter. However, when someone from his new life suddenly goes missing, he must use his skills to get her back. The leading man, Levon Cade, will be played by Jason Statham. The cast of Levon’s Trade includes David Harbour, Michael Peña, Jason Flemyng, and Ariana Rivas.
Although Levon’s Trade will not be out until January 17, 2025, this is certainly a movie that audiences should be looking forward to, especially if they enjoyed The Beekeeper. For the second time, Statham and Ayer will be working together on an action movie, but this time, they will likely have the budget and the cast to make an especially amazing film.
Due to the fact that Levon’s Trade came so quickly after The Beekeeper, this movie is also a sign that Statham may have found another great partner in David Ayer, and hopefully, they can continue making outstanding films.
Jason Statham & Guy Ritchie Don’t Look Like Reuniting Anytime Soon
Statham and Ritchie have their own projects
The introduction of David Ayer into Jason Statham’s career is coming at an ideal time, as Statham and Guy Ritchie seem to be going their separate ways for now. This does not mean that the duo have had a falling out, but only that they seem to be pursuing their own individual projects. Statham has not been cast in any recent or upcoming Guy Ritchie movies, such as The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare or The Grey. Furthermore, Statham has his own plate full with Levon’s Trade and the finale of the Fast & Furious franchise.
All in all, Statham and Ritchie may have started out together, but now, they have found new niches. Statham has partnered up with David Ayer, and Guy Ritchie has found new returning actors like jake Gyllenhaal and Henry Cavill. This is ultimately very exciting for both actor and director, but especially for Jason Statham. Hopefully, his new partnership with David Ayer will not only bring audiences some incredible new action movies, but it will also pull Statham out of failing action franchises.
