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In the world of modern action cinema, Jason Statham has established himself as one of the genre's premiere stars from a 20-plus year career dating back to the 2001 Jet Li vehicle The One. It was this knowledge that Statham looked to while on the set of The Beekeeper, where director David Ayer admitted to being “schooled” by the action star's knowledge of the genre.
Ayer spoke with SlashFilm about his latest action film when he spoke on collaborating with Jason Statham and the knowledge the actor was able to bring to the production. He said Statham's knowledge of the overall genre, newest releases, and his own history was invaluable for framing the actor in ways that worked for the film, along with The Beekeeper's overall structure.
“He schooled me,” Ayer said. “He's an action icon, and he's probably forgotten more about action than I know. He really raised my game. He really helped me get under the hood of, what is action? How does it work? And he has this encyclopedic knowledge of, like, literally every punch ever thrown on film.”
“I, honestly, after working with him, feel much more confident about directing action.”
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Ayer is no stranger to action, himself, dating back to his work writing for films like the original The Fast and The Furious and 2003's S.W.A.T. It only expanded once he moved into the director's chair with films such as End of Watch, Fury, and 2016's Suicide Squad.
That said, Statham's filmography is littered with action films ranging from smaller, direct-to-video fare all the way to massive blockbuster franchises like Fast and Furious and plenty in-between. It has made him one of the most recognized action stars of modern film, alongside Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, and Keanu Reeves to name a few.
The Beekeeper is currently in theaters.
