Here’s a film boasting two reunions for Jason Statham. He’s already :a[worked on The Beekeeper] for director David Ayer. And he’s attached to star in new action movie Levon’s Trade, which Ayer will direct from a script by Statham’s :a[Expendables] colleague Sylvester Stallone. And while the concept sounds like an awfully familiar one, the combination of talent is certainly intriguing.
Stallone, who scored an Oscar nomination for :a[Rocky] in 1977 and most recently scripted :a[Rambo: Last Blood], adapted Levon’s Trade from the novel of the same name by comic author Chuck Dixon. The book is the first of 11 in the popular Levon Cade thriller series. Stallone’s production company had previously developed the idea as a TV series, and the source material means there is plenty of scope for other movies.
The film will chart how Levon Cade (Statham) left his black ops days behind to work in construction. He wants to live a simple life and be a good father to his daughter.
But when his boss’s teenage daughter Jenny vanishes, he’s called upon to re-employ the skills that made him a legendary figure in his previous gig. His hunt for the missing college student takes him deep into the heart of a sinister criminal conspiracy creating a chain reaction that will threaten his new way of life…
Black Bear and BlockFilm are selling distribution rights to the film at this year’s AFM market. “I am thrilled to be reuniting with some of my most talented and longstanding partners on Levon’s Trade,” says producer Bill Block. “I first worked with David Ayer on :a[Fury] and it was immediately clear that he is a director at the very top of his game. Jason and I have worked together on a number of films, and most recently the three of us collaborated on The Beekeeper. Levon’s Trade is going to be another spectacular action movie and I’m confident we’ve assembled the dream team to bring the first novel in this celebrated series to the big screen.”
