Jason Statham

Jason Statham to Star in Brian De Palma’s New Adaptation of William Goldman’s Novel HEAT

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 8:44 am

Brian De Palma is set to direct Jason Statham in a new adaptation of William Goldman‘s novel/screenplay Heat.  The action-thriller will have Statham (his role originally played by Burt Reynolds) playing a recovering gambling addict who works protection gigs to pay the bills.  He refuses to use guns in dealing with foes and resorts to using his fists and edged weapons (Statham-y!).  When his friend is beaten by a high-roller, he helps her get revenge, which puts him in even more danger.  I bet he’ll decide to pick up a gun at some point.

Considering that Statham only plays one character (gritty tough guy), it will be interesting to see if De Palma can get a different performance out of him or if the actor will simply be a tool for an exciting action flick.  The last De Palma flick to hit theaters was 2007′s Redacted, but he’s currently at work on the thriller Passion starring Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace.  Statham will be seen later this year in Safe, The Expendables 2 and Parker.  Filming on Heat is set to begin in France in late 2012 or early 2013.  Hit the jump for the press release.

KILLER ELITE Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: January 19th, 2012 at 11:00 am

Jason Statham is like the only fast food restaurant in a small town. There’s really no other actor who can be counted on to deliver action films on a regular basis, and Statham fills that need at least once or twice yearly. Sometimes you just want a burger, and sometimes you just want to see Statham kick the crap out of someone. Killer Elite brought together Statham, Robert De Niro, and Clive Owen for playtime, and though the two others are relatively serious actors, here they’re playing on Statham’s turf. The results are a little sluggish, but deliver what’s expected. Our review of Killer Elite on Blu-ray follows after the jump.

Exclusive Official Poster for SAFE Starring Jason Statham

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 18th, 2012 at 9:26 am

We’re happy to share with you the exclusive poster premiere for Lionsgate’s actioner Safe. Jason Statham stars as an ex-cop from New York who witnesses the attempted abduction of a 12-year-old girl. After rescuing her, Statham’s character learns that the girl has memorized a code that the Triads, the Russian Mafia, and corrupt New York officials all want. Directed by Boaz Yakin (Remember the Titans), the film also stars Anson Mount, Chris Sarandon, Reggie Lee and James Hong. Hit the jump to check out the first poster. Safe opens April 27th.

THE EXPENDABLES: DIRECTOR’S CUT Blu-ray Review

by Scott Wampler    Posted: December 26th, 2011 at 6:00 am

When The Expendables dropped last year, many felt that—while Sylvester Stallone’s heart was in the right placed—the film failed to live up to expectations (there’s also a strong, vocal minority that love the film, and we should all just go ahead and assume now that they’re going to take issue with this statement).  Surprisingly enough, one of these people seems to be…Sylvester Stallone, who introduces the new Director’s Cut of The Expendables by saying, “I liked the theatrical version, but I love this (version)”.  Have improvements been made?  Is the film really and truly better?  And how can one tell, if one immediately forgot the first film almost as soon as they’d seen it?  Find out in my review of The Expendables: Director’s Cut, after the jump.

First Trailer and Official Synopsis for THE EXPENDABLES 2, Plus New Promo Poster

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: December 14th, 2011 at 4:27 pm

Lionsgate has released the first trailer for The Expendables 2, directed by Simon West (The Mechanic).  It’s a teaser that doesn’t get into plot, or even showcase any major action.  At this early stage, with over 9 months to go until the August 17 release, the film is selling itself entirely on the reputation of the cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, Jean Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

If you are interested in the plot, the studio also unveiled the first official synopsis for The Expendables 2 along with a new promo poster.  See it all after the jump.

New Trailer for SAFE Starring Jason Statham

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: November 10th, 2011 at 4:34 pm

Criminals are now so afraid of Jason Statham that they’re mobilizing an entire city to take him down…and it still might not be enough. In a new trailer for Safe, just released from Lionsgate, Statham plays Luke Wright, an ex-cop from New York who witnesses some tough guys attempting to abduct a twelve-year-old girl. After rescuing her, Wright learns that the girl has memorized a code and that the Triads, Russian Mafia and corrupt NYC officials all want it. They’ll do anything to get it, but they’ll have to go through Wright first.

Directed by Boaz Yakin (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time), Safe also stars Anson Mount (Straw Dogs), Chris Sarandon (Fright Night), Reggie Lee (Grimm) and James Hong (Blade Runner). Safe opens up on March 2, 2012. If you’re a fan of Statham, you’ll want to hit the jump and check out this trailer.

Jason Statham to Star in HUMMINGBIRD

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: November 2nd, 2011 at 5:45 pm

There has been a lot of recent talk that Jason Statham might join the Transformers franchise or maybe even the Fast and Furious films. While that’s all still up in the air, we can confirm Statham’s next project. News from the American Film Market tells us that Statham will re-team with producer Stuart Ford’s IM Global for the action-drama Hummingbird. The picture seems tailor-made for Statham as it centers on an ex-Special Forces soldier looking for a way out of the criminal underworld of London. A twist of circumstance allows him to assume another identity and act out his vengeance through his own particular brand of redemptive justice.

Hummingbird will be the directorial debut for Steven Knight, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind Eastern Promises and Dirty Pretty Things. The film is slotted to shoot on location in London in early 2012. Hit the jump for more.

TOP 5: TRANSFORMERS 4 and 5, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, THE THREE MUSKETEERS Interviews, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, William Monahan on SIN CITY 2 and More

by Jason Barr    Posted: October 22nd, 2011 at 11:11 am

I’m writing to you this week in full “World Series Mode.” While there are plenty of things going on around the Midwest this time of year (homemade haunted houses are always a welcomed annual treat), a majority of my focus is on trying to will my beloved Cardinals to Fall Classic glory. Combine that with the fact that Batman: Arkham City is consistently calling my name and it’s a wonder that I’m even writing this right now. Hold on, what’s that, Arkham City? Okay, okay…I’ll be there in a second…

…In this week’s installment, you’ll find talk of Transformers 4 and Transformers 5 shooting back-to-back with Jason Statham potentially starring, a six-minute prologue for The Dark Knight Rises being attached to Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol‘s IMAX release, interviews with director Paul W.S. Anderson and the cast of The Three Musketeers, David Fincher and Rooney Mara talking about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and William Monahan discussing projects including London Boulevard, The Departed sequel, Sin City 2 and more. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

TRANSFORMERS 4 and 5 to Shoot Back-to-Back; Jason Statham May Star

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: October 17th, 2011 at 6:24 pm

In a down economy, everyone is looking for unique ways to save a few million dollars. When you have a billion dollar franchise like Hasbro’s Transformers, every million counts. Noting the rising costs of special effects, advanced planning for marketing tie-ins and laborious contract negations, Paramount is considering shooting the fourth and fifth installments back-to-back. Hasbro CEO announced at the company’s third quarter earnings conference that they were actively discussing this strategy with Paramount, director Michael Bay and producer Steven Spielberg. With Shia LaBeouf not returning, this frees up some room for a new face of the franchise…perhaps, Jason Statham?

Hit the jump for more on Transformers 4 and 5.

Could Jason Statham Join the FAST AND FURIOUS Cast to Shoot FAST 6 and FAST 7 Back to Back in Europe?

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 3rd, 2011 at 8:42 pm

Please read this article with a grain of salt.  The concentration of cool is so high, though, that it’s worth reporting in case it turns out.  We know the next film in the Fast and Furious series (let’s call it Fast 6) will be director Justin Lin’s next project, and he’s already made headway with a pre-vised 12-minute final sequence.  Universal must like what they see, because the studio is reportedly ready to double down on their most reliable franchise.  Twitch hears Universal is looking into shooting Fast 6 and Fast 7 back to back in Europe in 2012.  Cool news in itself, but there’s more.  After the jump.

TOP 5: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, COMMUNITY, KILLER ELITE, J. EDGAR Trailer, How to Talk to Your Kids About STAR WARS

by Jason Barr    Posted: September 24th, 2011 at 10:01 am

In this, the first official Saturday of fall for countries in the Northern Hemisphere, I’m happy to report that temperatures in the Midwest are down to a brisk 60 degrees Fahrenheit. As someone who can’t be in the sun/heat for more than fifteen minutes without experiencing incapacitating sunburns, this is a welcomed change to be sure. On a separate note, readers of the site may have noticed that my productivity has decreased in the last week. In a bittersweet piece of news, I’ve taken on full-time employment in the wide world of telecommunications thus explaining my absence. Nevertheless, I’m going to do my level best to keep the “Top 5″ coming each and every weekend for as long as I can. As for today…

…In this week’s installment, you can find the new, nearly four-minute trailer for David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Community interviews with Chevy Chase, Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, Gillian Jacobs and more, Killer Elite interviews with Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Yvonne Strahovski and director Gary McKendry, the first trailer for Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar and an ultra-important PSA teaching parents how to talk with their kids about Star Wars. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

KILLER ELITE Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 22nd, 2011 at 3:02 pm

At some point in the script stage, Killer Elite had the potential to be a good movie.  It takes two opposing characters that have equally valid, noble motives and pits them against each other.  Unfortunately, that interesting premise is drowned by paper-thin characters, idiotic writing, action movie clichés, and dull set pieces.  Even as a generic action movie, it falls far short of its low bar.

Exclusive: Jason Statham Talks KILLER ELITE, PARKER and THE EXPENDABLES 2

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 21st, 2011 at 6:08 pm

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to land an exclusive interview with Jason Statham for his new action-thriller Killer Elite.  Also starring Robert De Niro, Clive Owen and Yvonne Strahovski, the flick centers on a retired special ops agent (Statham) who is tasked with rescuing his mentor (De Niro).   I caught the film at TIFF and if you’re a fan of Statham and the rest of the cast, it’s definitely worth seeing.  Here’s the trailer.

During the interview, Statham talked about being at TIFF, getting to work with bigger names, the kind of research he does and what his typical pre-production process is like, how he gets ready to do action scenes, and how many takes he prefers.  In addition, Statham talked about Taylor Hackford’s Parker with Nick Nolte, Jennifer Lopez and Michael Chiklis, and how he’s getting ready to film The Expendables 2 with Sylvester Stallone.  Hit the jump for the interview.

Exclusive: Jason Statham Talks THE EXPENDABLES 2, Says They Start Filming in Two Weeks in Bulgaria

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 11th, 2011 at 2:19 pm

Steve and Matt are currently at the Toronto Film Festival, and I’m insanely jealous.  While at the fest, Steve got the chance to sit down with Jason Statham to talk about his upcoming film Killer Elite.  While we’ll have that full interview up for you soon, Statham also spoke briefly about a little action movie he has coming up called The Expendables 2.  We’ve been hearing a number of casting rumors lately about the sequel to the all-star 2010 flick. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis are confirmed to be appearing in “substantial roles”, with Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, and Terry Crews all set to return.  Other rumored but not confirmed additions include John Travolta, Chuck Norris, Donnie Yen, and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Hit the jump to see what Statham had to say, including when The Expendables 2 starts filming and his thoughts on all those casting rumors.  The Expendables 2 opens August 17, 2012.

4 Clips from KILLER ELITE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 5th, 2011 at 3:30 pm

Four clips from the action flick Killer Elite have gone online.  The convoluted plot centers on a retired special-ops agent (Jason Statham) who must leave his peaceful life and do some more murdering in order to free his mentor (Robert De Niro).  Meanwhile, he’s being tracked by former SAS operative (Clive Owen) who works for a shadowy organization known as The Feathermen.  If these clips give you the impression that the film isn’t very good, then these clips honestly represent the movie.

Hit the jump to check out the clips.  Killer Elite opens September 23rd.

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