Jason Statham is developing a new action movie, but the plan is a bit confusing given the timing of The Beekeeper‘s success. Statham further solidified his standing in Hollywood as one of the world’s bankable action movie stars at the start of 2024. The release of The Beekeeper teamed the actor up with director David Ayer for a throwback action movie. The response to the movie has been nothing but great, as reviews were positive, and general audiences are showing their interest by building up The Beekeeper‘s box office total to avoid repeating The Expendables 4‘s box office disaster.
The overall success of The Beekeeper is exactly what Jason Statham could have hoped for. He and David Ayer have expressed their interest in turning the movie into an action franchise, with ideas for The Beekeeper 2 already teased. It should hardly come as a surprise that the two men have found a way to continue their partnership in the hopes of repeating The Beekeeper‘s success. However, Jason Statham’s current action movie plan is not taking what was thought to be the obvious route, making the decision for how to move forward after a $100 million hit a bit confusing.
10 Biggest The Beekeeper Questions A Jason Statham Sequel Could Answer
The Beekeeper leaves plenty of unanswered questions about Jason Statham’s Adam Clay and the franchise. The Beekeeper 2 could answer them all.
Jason Statham & David Ayer Are Making A New Action Movie Instead Of The Beekeeper 2
Prior to The Beekeeper‘s release, it was revealed that Jason Statham and David Ayer were developing a new action movie called Levon’s Trade with Sylvester Stallone. The move was an early signal that Statham and Ayer wanted to keep working together, but it also gave the pair a backup plan in case their first collaboration did not work. Following The Beekeeper‘s box office success, it was presumed that the duo would turn their attention to The Beekeeper 2, leaving Levon’s Trade as a project to make down the road. They have done the exact opposite, though.
Development on Levon’s Trade is progressing incredibly well, as Amazon MGM has joined the project. The studio will now distribute the movie for its domestic theatrical release. Amazon MGM also obtained the streaming release rights, securing Levon’s Trade as a movie that will eventually stream on Prime Video. The move is significant as Amazon MGM was also involved in The Beekeeper. After experiencing The Beekeeper‘s success firsthand, the studio clearly wants to stay in business with Statham and Ayer and help move their new action movie forward. This seemingly puts Levon’s Trade ahead of The Beekeeper 2 in the pipeline.
The Beekeeper 2 Should Be Statham & Ayer’s Priority After Original’s Great Box Office
It is understandable why Statham, Ayer, and Amazon MGM want to keep a successful partnership going with Levon’s Trade, but the priority for all parties involved should be The Beekeeper 2 right now. The Beekeeper has made over $100 million at the worldwide box office, meaning it should be a profitable release for Amazon MGM. That would typically mean greenlighting a sequel, especially if the star and director are both keen to make it.
There is still a good chance that The Beekeeper 2 happens at some point, but not ensuring that it moves ahead as the priority for Statham and Ayer is risky. There is a chance it becomes too difficult to make the sequel work with both of their schedules the longer it doesn’t happen. Furthermore, the longer the wait between The Beekeeper and its sequel, the more likely it is that audiences will forget about the franchise starter they enjoyed. That’s why making The Beekeeper 2 ahead of Levon’s Trade would be a better plan.
The Beekeeper
- Release Date
- January 12, 2024
- Director
- David Ayer
- Cast
- Jason Statham , Emmy Raver-Lampman , Josh Hutcherson , Bobby Naderi , Minnie Driver , Phylicia Rashad , Jeremy Irons
- Writers
- Kurt Wimmer
