Jason Statham must have enjoyed working with David Ayer on “The Beekeeper.” He’s re-upping to headline Ayer’s next action film, “Levon’s Trade.”
Based on the novel by famed comics author (and the creator of Batman arch-foe Bane) Chuck Dixon, Sylvester Stallone will adapt the crime thriller. This marks a rare occasion whereby Stallone writes a film in which he doesn’t star. The 2013 Statham action drama “Homefront” remains an underrated gem of a genre flick.
Black Bear and BlockFilm will present the package at AFM, adapting the first of 11 best-selling novels featuring Levon Cade. Cade (Statham) is a reformed criminal currently on the straight and narrow and working construction. However, when his boss’s teenage daughter Jenny vanishes, he’s called upon to reemploy the skills that made him a legendary figure in the shadowy world of black ops. His hunt for the missing college student takes him deep into the heart of a sinister criminal conspiracy creating a chain reaction that will threaten his life and that of his young daughter.
Production will begin in London in March of 2024. Ayer and Chris Long will produce for Cedar Park Entertainment, alongside Statham for Punch Palace Productions, Stallone for Balboa Productions, John Friedberg for Black Bear and Bill Block for BlockFilm.
Statham has been busy, anchoring two blockbuster sequels with “The Meg 2: The Trench” and “Fast X.” MGM will release “The Beekeeper” in 2024. All told, Statham’s films have earned over $8 billion at the worldwide box office. Stallone recently reprised in “Expendables 4” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” His grounded superhero drama “Samaritan” recently got a sequel following strong Prime Video viewership.
Producer Bill Block said “I am thrilled to be reuniting with some of my most talented and longstanding partners on Levon’s Trade. I first worked with David Ayer on Fury and it was immediately clear that he is a director at the very top of his game. Jason and I have worked together on a number of films, and most recently the three of us collaborated on The Beekeeper. Levon’s Trade is going to be another spectacular action movie and I’m confident we’ve assembled the dream team to bring the first novel in this celebrated series to the big screen.”
Jason Statham is repped by Patrick Knapp at GGSSC. David Ayer is repped be WME and David Weber. Sylvester Stallone is repped by CAA and Robert Lange.
Deadline first reported the news.
