Jason Statham’s latest action blockbuster might have revealed the key to saving one of the actor’s biggest franchises as the fifth installment nears.
Known for portraying gritty action heroes, actor Jason Statham is one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. After leading heist thrillers like Crank and The Italian Job, Statham landed roles in two of the biggest ensemble action movie series ever: The Expendablesand the Fast & Furious. In the latter, he plays Deckard Shaw, a former UKSF soldier and MI6 agent who initially has it out for Vin Diesel’s Dominic “Dom” Toretto. While Statham has even co-starred in the Fast & Furious spin-off, Hobbs & Shaw, he continues to lead non-franchise action flicks too.
Statham is still one of the industry’s most coveted leading men.
With cameos in Fast 9 and Fast X, Statham has channeled his star power into 2023’s Expend4bles, which also sees him serving as a producer, and fresh blockbusters like The Meg. While none of those films are necessarily critical darlings, they are box office smashes, proving that Statham is still one of the industry’s most coveted leading men. That said, the star’s most recent action movie hit, which generated $152.7 million at the box office, shows that Statham is the key to saving one of his own $840 million action-thriller franchises.
The Beekeeper’s Box Office Proves Expendables Becoming A Jason Statham Franchise Would Work
The Beekeeper Made $152.7 Million At The Global Box Office
Throughout the first decade or so of his film career, Jason Statham generated over $1.5 billion in ticket sales (via BBC), and 2024’s The Beekeeper shows that the action star’s draw is as huge as ever before. Against a $40 million budget, The Beekeeper generated a whopping $152.7 million at the worldwide box office. Not to mention, the action flick received acclaim from critics and genre fans alike, and boasts an impressive 71% certified fresh rating. In the film, Statham’s Adam Clay, a former “Beekeeper” agent, exacts revenge on the scammers responsible for the death of his landlady.
he premise, and Statham’s justice-driven character, are extremely straightforward, allowing the action flick to focus on fun set pieces and combat sequences. A completely original story, viewers are left wanting to know more about whom the Beekeepers are in the film’s lore. Needless to say, The Beekeeper proves that Statham’s star power is potentially more valuable than a well-known franchise’s name. Expend4bles (also known as Expendables 4) attempted to pass the torch from Sylvester Stallone to Statham, but wound up becoming a massive flop. Clearly, the fourth Expendables flick didn’t flop because of Statham.
