Caffeinated Clint
With half-a-dozen films now on his dance card, expect it’ll be a while before Jason Statham can commit to a “Hobbs & Shaw” sequel (still, we expect after the money it made, Universal wont let it go). Question is : Does he even need it!?
A few days back it was reported that the swimmer cum actor would join Kevin Hart in a new Patrick ‘Expendables 3’ Hughes directed actioner called “The Man from Toronto”. With that, Statham is now locked in to shoot at least five films over the next twenty four months – a fat roster that will also include the long-in-development “Viva La Madness” and a new untitled action thriller for Kurt Wimmer about a British expatriate and Chinese agent who go on the run in Hong Kong (sounds like “The One”, right!? Ah, good times!..).
Oh! Paul Feig has also got Statham to commit to a “Spy” sequel, with it rumoured to be one of the filmmaker’s next projects – so he’ll have some repeat business there, too.
He’s busy, in other words.
Word across the Interweb late last week – courtesy The Illumanerdi – was that Statham was also set to star in a new “Expendables” spin-off. The fun-titled “The Expendables : A Christmas Story” would feature appearances from the franchise’s other favourites (including Sly Stallone), but they’lol play second fiddle to Statham’s Christmas this time around.
Reportedly in line to direct is D.J Caruso, the “Disturbia” and “Eagle Eye” director who, you might recall, was in the running time direct the original “Expendables” at one stage. Everything comes back around..
Assumingly, the spin-off has come about because Stallone is too busy to commit to headlining another “Expendables” film, at the moment anyway, so he and the studio cooked up an idea to keep the brand going without him being the head attraction.
Before his “Expendables” spin-off, Statham will be seen in Guy Ritchie’s “Cash Truck” which, I hear, has wrapped post. Looking forward to that reunion.
More on “Expendables : A Christmas Story” when we hear it …
