News for
Jason Statham

photos

board

add

contact

details

IMDbPro offers the latest entertainment industry news from the Hollywood Reporter. Sign-up for a two-week free trial today. Click here for a free trial!

Movie Reviews: 'Hitman'
21 November 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Movies based on video games rarely receive much applause from critics. Hitman is no exception, although it receives less drubbing than most of its genre and a few high scores. Jack Mathews in the New York Daily News makes an argument that a lot of critics have echoed in their reviews of such films: "Like every other attempt at adapting popular games, Hitman is passive entertainment. It's beyond me why filmmakers think gamers will be satisfied sitting on their hands." Manohla Dargis observes that the R-rated movie "exploits every action-flick cliché imaginable and still manages to be dull." As for the performances, Kyle Smith writes in the New York Post: "Bruce Willis and Jason Statham look good bald; [Timothy] Olyphant looks about as comfortable as a freshly shorn cat as he creeps around shooting and fighting and generally trying to be Jason Bourne." But Peter Hartlaub in the San Francisco Chronicle provides some faint praise for the movie. "Hitman," he writes, "is one of the best movies ever made from a video game, which doesn't provide you with very much information. That's like declaring the best meal you've eaten at a strip club, the best love ballad by Kenny Loggins or the best hangover you've had after drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon."

'War' -- It's Not Good for Much
27 August 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Lionsgate's War, starring Jet Li and Jason Statham, which many analysts had expected would be the primary contender for box-office honors, went down to ignominious defeat, taking in just $10 million in 2,277 theaters. Although the martial-arts saga was not screened for critics in the U.S., they entered the fray over the weekend and administered some devastating blows. For example, Wesley Morris in the Boston Globe wrote: "You could fill a small junkyard with the films Jet Li and Jason Statham have made separately. Perhaps to cut down on waste, they've teamed up for a single trip to the dumpster." And Peter Hartlaub in the San Francisco Chronicle warned that people from his fair city hoping to catch a few glimpses of it in a big movie should be aware that "San Francisco looks like Vancouver" (where most of the exterior scenes were actually shot).

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers: 1. Superbad, $18 million; 2. The Bourne Ultimatum, $12.4 million; 3. Rush Hour 3, $12.3 million; 4. Mr. Bean's Holiday, $10.1 million; 5. War, $10 million; 6. The Nanny Diaries, $7.8 million; 7. The Simpsons Movie, $4.4 million; 8. Stardust, $4 million; 9. Hairspray, $3.5 million; 10. The Invasion, $3.1 million.

Movie Reviews: 'War'
24 August 2007 (StudioBriefing)
War, the film that reportedly stands to be the strongest rival to last weekend's champ Superbad at the box office, was not shown to U.S. film critics. But Toronto-based Lionsgate, the studio that is releasing it, did show it to critics in Canada. (Most of it was shot in Vancouver.) Their reviews show why the film was held back from critics on this side of the border. "An irrelevant, joyless bore," is the way Jason McBride describes it in the Toronto Globe and Mail. On the other hand Rob Salem in the Toronto Star acknowledges that while the story is "complicated," and even sometimes "deliberately unclear," it's not worth trying to figure out. "How much do these things really matter in this sort of escapist enterprise?" he asks. The film stars Jet Li and Jason Statham.

'Superbad' the Superhero?
24 August 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Five films are opening wide this weekend but none is expected to unseat Superbad from the top of the box office. The Judd Apatow comedy is expected to gross about $18-22 million, according to analyst, while the Jet Li/Jason Stratham action movie War is likely to come in a close second with $16-20 million. The Nanny Diaries, starring Scarlett Johansson, is expected to vie for third place with Mr. Bean's Holiday, starring Rowan Atkinson. Each is expected to debut with about $7-10 million. Analysts say that the relatively low-budget Resurrecting the Champ, starring Josh Hartnett and Samuel L. Jackson, will not take in more than $5 million.

Ritchie and Madonna Booed at 'Revolver' Premiere
21 September 2005 (WENN)
British film-maker Guy Ritchie and his wife Madonna were booed at the London premiere of his new movie Revolver last night - because they refused to sign autographs for expectant fans. Jason Statham, the movie's lead actor, spent almost an hour signing autographs and posing for photographs in the British capital's Leicester Square, but Ritchie and Madonna paid little attention to the 2,000-strong crowd. The singer suffered a multitude of serious injuries - including a broken little finger, five cracked ribs and a double fracture to her shoulder blade - in a horse-riding accident at her English country estate last month. And she was glad to step back from the limelight for her husband's big night: "This is fun for me. I get to dress up and show up." Revolver has been slated by movie critics in the run-up to its release.

Ritchie's 'Revolver' Mauled by Critics
13 September 2005 (WENN)
Guy Ritchie's new movie has been savaged by critics after its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Just two years after his last effort, Swept Away, flopped miserably, Revolver, Ritchie's return to the gangster genre, has been dismissed as a "convoluted, risibly overwrought muddle" by one US magazine. Screen International also warned viewers would be left "bewildered and disappointed" by what the Hollywood Reporter described as "pretentious style and fractured storytelling". Hollywood Reporter reviewer Kirk Honeycutt adds, "The movie spins wildly in circles, continually doubling back on itself, repeating scenes - once even backward - and lines of dialogue until a viewer loses a grip on what is supposed to be real." Jason Statham, Ray Liotta and Andre Benjamin star in the movie about a feud between a criminal gambler and a gangland boss. Ritchie was accompanied to the Toronto screening by his wife Madonna - appearing less than a month after she suffered three cracked ribs, a broken collarbone and a broken hand in a horse riding accident.

Movie Reviews: 'The Transporter 2'
2 September 2005 (StudioBriefing)
The Labor Day weekend ordinarily is just about the worst holiday weekend of the year at the box office, so the studios rarely release blockbuster fare at that time. Yet it's hard to know whether the mediocre movies that the studios do release might be responsible for the lousy business. That question could be answered this weekend as one film, The Transporter 2, seems to be generating a favorable response from critics that few had expected. Laura Kern in the New York Times comments, "Purely shallow but never dull, the film wisely pushes the limits of absurdity to the extreme, making it easier to submit to its sheer camp." Under the heading, "Scorched Mirth," Kyle Smith writes in the New York Post, that the film "busts the credibility meter early on, quickly becomes preposterous, and then really lets its imagination rip." Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times, who gives the film three out of four stars, remarks that the sequel is better than the original, citing "an ingenious plot that continues to reveal surprises and complications well into the third act; this is not simply a movie where the good guy chases the bad guys, but a movie where the story turns a lot trickier than we expected." Many of the reviews note that the film fills a void left by the recent absence of James Bond movies. "Who needs Bond?" asks Roger Moore in the Orlando Sentinel, noting that the movie "crosses over into Bond far-fetchedness in its plot and stunts. But it's still a noisy, goofy, cartoonishly violent ride." Stephen Hunter in the Washington Post argues that the film comes off better than it ought to because of the charismatic performance of its star, Jason Statham. "Statham isn't the best thing in Transporter 2; he's essentially the only thing. It's his charisma vs. the World. Score: Statham 2, World naught. He's an Englishman -- balding, lithe, focused -- discovered by director Guy Ritchie ... and now he's doing better than Ritchie. Plus, he's not married to Madonna."

Ritchie, Madonna Shoot Film in Secret
14 December 2004 (StudioBriefing)
British director Guy Ritchie is keeping a tight veil of secrecy over a new film he is shooting on the relatively remote Isle of Man. Today's London Daily Mirror reported that the film, titled Revolver, will feature Ritchie's wife, Madonna, and that the singer-actress has already filmed her scenes for the movie. The newspaper quoted an insider as saying, "Everyone knows Madonna gets what she wants and she still loves to act." Her name was not included in early press releases about the movie, which stars Jason Statham and Ray Liotta. Ritchie's last film with Madonna, 2002's Swept Away, flopped at the box office.

Movie Reviews: 'Cellular'
10 September 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Although a cell phone may be the real star of Cellular, about a kidnapped woman who randomly calls a man on his cell phone, the film's performers, including Kim Basinger as the woman, Chris Evans as the man, Jason Statham as the leader of the kidnappers, and William H. Macy as a desk cop, are receiving plaudits from several critics for performances that lend credibility to a film that most of them portray as contrived. "The movie is skillfully plotted, halfway plausible and well acted; the craftsmanship is in the details, including the astonishing number of different ways in which a cell phone can be made to function -- both as a telephone, and as a plot device," writes Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times. A. O. Scott in the New York Times, while calling the plot "implausible," nevertheless describes the movie as "an honest, unpretentious, well-made B picture with a clever, silly premise, a handful of sly, unassuming performances and enough car chases, decent jokes and swervy plot complications to make the price of the ticket seem like a decent bargain." Stephen Hunter in the Washington Post writes similarly: "There ought to be a small place in heaven for movies like Cellular. Now they almost never make them, but from the '30s through the '60s they were a Hollywood staple: efficient programmers, taut, tight killer B's, churned out in the hundreds, unstudied and unloved, but perfect on the undercard of a double feature, then gone forever in a week." John Anderson suggests in Newsday that Cellular shouldn't last that long, that the movie "is too inept to work as what it seems to be, and not clever enough to work as a spoof -- which, if you're feeling charitable, is what you assume they intended." And several critics, including Michael Wilmington in the Chicago Tribune, Megan Lehmann in the New York Post, and Susan Walker in the Toronto Globe and Mail use the same term to disparage the movie: "Wrong number."

'Italian Job' Star Statham in Car Crash
26 January 2004 (WENN)
Snatch star Jason Statham and his girlfriend, actress Kelly Brook spent on Tuesday night in a hospital in London, after a "horrifying" head-on car crash. The couple, who have been dating for five years, were both rushed to hospital with injuries after a Nissan collided with their Mini Cooper after swerving to miss a bollard in Sydenham, south east London. Smallville star Brook, 23, injured her back, while The Italian Job actor, 30, suffered burns from his airbag. A witness says, "It was a horrifying crash. It made a horrendous noise. It was a head-on crash. I wondered if anyone would survive it." Brook's mother Sandra, 41, laments, "Thank God they had seatbelts on otherwise they would have gone through the windscreen. They don't know much about what happened. They were driving home then all of a sudden they were hit head-on."

'The Italian Job' Pushed to More Screens
18 August 2003 (WENN)
Mark Wahlberg's action flick The Italian Job is poised for an expanded run at American cinemas - three months after its release. The movie, which also stars Charlize Theron, Jason Statham and Edward Norton, has earned an impressive $96 million since its May 30 debut, but bosses hope to haul in more cash by increasing its dwindling theater count to between 1,500 and 2,500 venues over the Labor Day weekend. The Mini Cooper caper flick is currently shown in just 217 cinemas across America, after the release of a long list of summer sequels pushed the movie aside. Studio bosses hope their latest efforts will push the film over the $100 million mark.

George Clooney To Play 'The Fall Guy'?
17 June 2003 (WENN)
Hollywood hunk George Clooney is in talks to star as The Fall Guy in a movie remake of the hit '80s TV show. Solaris star George is considering the part of stuntman and part-time bounty hunter Colt Seavers, which was made famous by Lee Majors. The Transporter star Jason Statham is set to co-star as Colt's sidekick Howie in the movie, which is set to go into production next year.

British 'Gangs' Premiere Stuns DiCaprio
8 January 2003 (WENN)
Gangs Of New York star Leonardo DiCaprio was left stunned after British fans turned out in thousands to greet him at the film's London premiere last night. The 28-year old heartthrob arrived in the British capital's Leicester Square on a freezing January night to be greeted by the 2,000 well wishers who were delighted when he gave an impromptu five minute walkabout to sign autographs. DiCaprio, who was accompanied by co-stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Jim Broadbent, said, "It is just surreal. It was pretty intense out there. This has been the biggest crowd so far, we didn't get that in Paris or Berlin. To be honest, it's made me dizzy. It's absolutely freezing out here and the support is unbelievable." Day-Lewis also took the opportunity to deny reports that he is planning to retire from the movie business saying, "It's not so much I'm retiring. As much as I love the work I also love to stay away from it. I've really no idea what I'm going to be doing next." Other stars who turned out to the gala screening were Smallville star Kelly Brook and her The Transporter boyfriend Jason Stantham and Joan Collins with husband Percy Gibson.

Statham Loses Starring Role To Rapper
29 August 2001 (WENN)
British actor Jason Statham's first starring role in a Hollywood film has ended in humiliation - after he was replaced by rapper Ice Cube. The Snatch star had been hoping to "do a Vinnie Jones" by making the jump from Guy Ritchie's gangster movies to stardom in Tinseltown. Statham was sure he had got the big break he needed when he was sent a script by director John Carpenter. The movie-maker - best known for lensing Halloween and Escape From New York - wanted Statham to play the lead role in his new sci-fi horror pic, Ghosts Of Mars. Jason was set to feature as heroic James "Desolation" Williams, in the big budget chiller opposite sex symbol Natasha Henstridge. But just as cameras were ready to roll, studio bosses financing the film got cold feet and decided that Statham wasn't a big enough star to top the billing and ensure good box office returns. They re-cast the lead role to Ice Cube and relegated Statham to a much smaller part as sidekick cop Jericho Butler. Jason said, "John Carpenter saw me in Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and set up a meeting. He wanted me to play the prisoner the cops have to transport in Ghosts of Mars, but the studio insisted he cast a higher-profile actor."

Vinnie's Reality Kick For Co-stars
8 August 2001 (WENN)
British actor Vinnie Jones has returned to his soccer hardman roots for his latest movie - a remake of the 1974 Burt Reynolds classic The Longest Yard. And the former soccer player has proved he's as tough as ever, after insisting that all the action in the soccer-based movie should be genuine. Jones, who was feared by fellow players during his sporting career, plays a former professional footballer, Danny Mehan, who winds up in prison and organises a team of inmates to take on the prison guards. Starring alongside are his co-stars from Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Vas Blackwood and Jason Statham - who've already had to endure a series of crunching tackles for the cameras. Vinnie, who's acting as adviser on the film, enthuses, "The tackles are pretty damn good. There is no moody (fake) stuff in it, what you see is proper football."

Kelly Brook Becomes A Witch
20 March 2001 (WENN)
British bra model Kelly Brook is set to leave American audiences spellbound - playing a witch in a new TV series. If the show takes off Kelly, 21, could earn $15, 000-a-week to star in the comedy, which is aimed at the lucrative teen market. Brook - real name Kelly Parsons- who last year appeared topless (she has a 32E bust) on stage as a raunchy pole dancer, is said to be thrilled at landing the part - after beating off stiff competition from American actresses. In the Warner Brothers Network series, Kelly plays the title role in The (Mis)Adventures Of Fiona Plum. Bosses hope the series will be a huge hit among young kids already hooked on shows like Sabrina, The Teenage Witch - starring Melissa Joan Hart. Kelly's character - a spoiled witch - is banished from England to Seattle by her father to work as a nanny. She lives in a South London maisonette with actor boyfriend Jason Statham.