Jason Statham remains dedicated to action cinema, but he will never reprise his wildest role, according to one of his former collaborators.
At this stage, Jason Statham is as much a star as a symbol. The emblem of unflinching American B-action cinema with a lean budget, a vague premise as a pretext, and a slew of deadly lines delivered between two punches. The former diver of the British national team (true story) shows no signs of slowing down with Shelter now on Amazon Prime or Mutiny, in theaters on August 19.
On January 13, 2027, he will also star in The Beekeeper 2, the follow-up to the strong success of 2024 directed by Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes for Us). Then we’ll see him in the brilliantly titled Jason Statham Stole My Bike, where he plays himself under the direction of David Leitch (Bullet Train, The Fall Guy). But there is a saga he will never return to, and that’s a pity, because it was the best.
Jason Statham is not back
Long before Crank, long before The Expendables, long before Fast & Furious and long before In Deep Water, Jason Statham found his best role in Crank, the adrenaline-fueled action-comedy that introduced directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. He played the hitman Chev Chelios, forced to keep an elevated adrenaline level to survive. He then stacks one wild stunt after another at the pace of a freewheeling directorial style, leaving audiences awestruck.
A sequel, perhaps even more brute, arrived in 2009, and whispers in the 2010s suggested a third installment might see the light of day. Collider journalist Maggie Lovitt didn’t lose hope, since she spoke of the potential Crank 3 to Amy Smart—who shared the first two films’ billing—at the Indiana Comic Convention:
“I remember hearing about it too and then it faded out, more or less. I haven’t heard anything else. It was wild, a movie that wild. I love what Eve [her character] does in the sequel; she’s doing strip-tease now, with a heart of gold. It was fun. Jason is so professional, he’s so badass and so nice. He always looked out for me and made sure I was comfortable with my stunts.”
She only confirms the obvious: the directing duo, who went on to make Gamer and Jonah Hex, have not worked together since the blistering critical failure (to be fair) of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in 2012. Beyond The Beekeeper, Statham’s next franchise film is reportedly Fast Forever, dated March 15, 2028.
