“The Beekeeper” premiered in theaters last weekend, marking a new action/thriller directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad) and featuring an ensemble cast including Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Minnie Driver, Phylicia Rashad, and Jeremy Irons.
The film has garnered generally positive reviews, boasting a 70% critics score and an impressive 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Notably, “The Beekeeper” has achieved a remarkable milestone for Statham, securing the highest rating of any first installment in a Statham-led franchise. It also stands out as one of only two franchise starters to earn a “Fresh” rating from critics and the first-ever to surpass a 90% approval from audiences.
Jason Statham has been recognized for his roles in various franchises, with his debut leading role in “The Transporter” in 2002, which received a 54% critics score and a 73% audience score. Subsequent franchise starters led by Statham include “Crank” (62% critics score, 71% audience score), “The Expendables” (42% critics score, 64% audience score), “The Mechanic” (53% critics score, 51% audience score), and “The Meg” (47% critics score, 44% audience score). “The Beekeeper” stands out as a fresh and audience-favorite entry, showcasing Statham’s ability to lead successful film franchises.
Some standalone films of Statham’s do beat the critics score for The Beekeeper, including The Bank Job (80%), Spy (95%), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (75%), and The Italian Job (72%).
Did Jason Statham Get Stung Making The Beekeeper?
In a recent interview with Empire, Ayer disclosed that Jason Statham remained unscathed by bee stings during the filming of “The Beekeeper.” Ayer marveled at Statham’s hands-on approach to his stunts, revealing that the actor insisted on performing most of them himself, leaving his stunt double with little to do.
Despite skepticism from the crew about exposing Statham to real bees, the actor embraced the challenge, learning beekeeping techniques alongside a professional beekeeper and immersing himself in the Zen philosophy associated with the practice.
The official description of “The Beekeeper” describes it as follows: “In The Beekeeper, one man’s ruthless quest for revenge takes on national significance after his past as an operative for the secretive ‘Beekeepers’ organization is unveiled.”
Statham and the film’s writer, Kurt Wimmer (Salt), will serve as producers, along with Bill Block for Miramax and Chris Long for Cedar Park Studios. This collaboration marks a reunion between Statham and Miramax, the production company behind Guy Ritchie’s “Wrath of Man” and “Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre.”
“Having collaborated with Jason on ‘Wrath Of Man’ and ‘Operation Fortune,’ and with David on ‘Fury,’ we are fortunate to partner with these masters of the new action genre to bring Kurt’s brilliant script to the first installment of this franchise,” stated Block in a press release.
“The Beekeeper” is currently screening in theaters.