Jason Statham will reteam with director David Ayer for his next film, which will feature an iconic sequence involving a toilet. Statham’s first action role in Ghosts of Mars did little to raise his profile, but he’s been a genre mainstay pretty much since 2002’s The Transporter. Jason Statham action movies are (almost) always a fun time, and the star has been especially prolific in recent years. In 2023 alone, Statham appeared in four movies, fronting hits like Meg 2: The Trench and suffering through box-office duds like The Expendables 4.

Statham’s The Beekeeper was also a shock box-office smash, with this David Ayer-helmed thriller playing to all of its leading man’s strengths. It was a tongue-in-cheek action thriller that featured some solid setpieces, and The Beekeeper 2 is currently being developed. Statham and Ayer must have had a great time working together, since they’re reteaming for their next project Levon’s Trade, which was penned by none other than Sylvester Stallone.

Levon’s Trade’s Most Memorable Chapter Involves A Toilet Interrogation

The Levon Cade series could be Jason Statham’s next big franchise

Levon’s Trade is based on the Chuck Dixon novel of the same name, which was published in 2014. This involves the titular character Levon Cade, a Special Forces operative pulled back into his old life when his boss hires him to find his missing daughter, Jenna. Levon’s Trade is a bleaker story than The Beekeeper, with Cade’s investigation pulling him deeper into a dark underworld. The Stallone-scripted adaptation will no doubt increase the action and humor quota, but the Levon’s Trade movie must also include the novel’s toilet interrogation scene.

This chapter occurs early in the story and involves Levon kidnapping a bartender named Johnny who was working the night Jenna was taken. Realizing he won’t get anywhere by asking nicely, Levon snatches Johnny, takes him to a remote location and straps him to a toilet. Regardless of his predicament, Johnny refuses to talk, until the moment Cade coldly states “You know why you’re strapped to a toilet? Because I don’t like cleaning up after.”

This implied threat causes an audible release of fear from Johnny, who proceeds to tell Levon everything he knows. Again, Levon’s Trade isn’t the lightest of reads, but not only is this chapter one of its most memorable, it’s easily the funniest. The moment is subversive too, because despite how menacing Levon appears, he doesn’t resort to torture or violence to get Johnny talking – the threat is more than enough.

Levon’s Trade Toilet Scene Will Be The Film’s Most Discussed

The Levon’s Trade trailer must open with this sequence

Levon’s Trade won’t arrive until January 2025, and while details about the production are scarce, it’s unlikely to deviate much from the source material. There’s no guarantee Levon’s Trade’s toilet chapter will survive the leap to the big screen, but it’s hard to imagine the filmmakers behind it reading the book and deciding to cut it. It’s simply too memorable and darkly funny, and one that establishes Levon’s tactics.

It’s a reasonable bet Levon’s Trade’s trailer will open with snippets from this toilet scene too, with Statham’s Cade intoning “I don’t like cleaning up after.” If the novel is anything to go by, the film will be considerably grittier than The Beekeeper and will hue closer to a 1970s thriller like Dirty Harry or Death Wish. That’s not to say it won’t have some humor along the way, and hopefully the toilet chapter will survive the translation.

Levon Cade Will Be A Different Kind Of Action Hero For Jason Statham

Levon is a perfect combination of brains and brawn

There are many Jason Statham action franchises already in existence, from The Expendables to his recurring role in The Fast & Furious saga. Over the years, the star has turned to novel characters in search of a new series, including Parker or Homefront. The Meg is his only real success in this arena, but if Levon’s Trade is a hit, there are other novels in the Levon Cade series for potential sequels to adapt. The first book is a great standalone tale, but Cade tends to find himself caught up in violent situations throughout the rest of the saga.

Despite this, Cade is portrayed in the books as a mild-mannered, loving father. He would much rather avoid violence altogether, with Levon’s Trade’s toilet passage being a perfect example. He’s aware that if he frightens Johnny enough, he’ll get the answers he needs without blood being shed. In contrast to other Statham films where he’s happy to lead with his fists, Cade thinks his way around problems and will only start snapping bones as a last resort. That said, Ayer’s movie could make Statham’s Levon more direct in that regard.

Source: The Numbers