Jason Statham’s highest-grossing action films show just how much money his $840 million franchise spent on him

The action franchise that was meant to be Jason Statham Best only proved how much the films wasted his talents. Jason Statham’s action films have been entertaining fans for over 20 years, and he had an unusual path to fame. After years of doing odd jobs, such as working at market stalls and directing music videos, Statham made his debut in a Guy Ritchie film. Cards, money and two guns. Statham’s action debut in John Carpenter’s film Ghosts of Mars will later set him on a completely different path.

He may be typical of the genre, but Statham doesn’t seem to mind that. He’s one of the biggest action stars in the world, and his name alone is almost guaranteed to attract an audience. There are also many action film franchises featuring Jason Statham where he is either part of the ensemble, e.g. Fast and Furious saga – or he is the only main character. Statham is more popular than ever. Beekeeper $152 million shipment (via Numbers) giving him his most successful film outside of its many franchises.

All of Jason Statham’s franchises have been box office hits (except The Expendables)

The Expendables 4 Failure Brings an Abrupt End to the Ensemble Series

Likewise, Statham’s frequent partner (and pal) Sylvester Stallone built his career on series such as Rocky or RamboStatham has a robust collection of franchises. Although he seems to be done with Conveyor or Lever films, the star still has such properties as Meg return. There is also a good chance Beekeeper 2 will happenand Statham will reunite with Beekeeper Helmer David Ayer for the film adaptation of the novel Levon’s Tradewhich could also spawn a new series.

The above franchises will see Statham kept well employed for the foreseeable future, but one series that probably won’t return is The Expendables. Stallone created this ensemble saga so that legendary action stars could work together, with names like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford and many more on the poster for each outing. The Expendables should be – given the talent involved – Statham’s best franchise yet, but more often than not it disappoints.

The first and second films received mixed reviews but were consistently profitable, although the third film performed worse in 2014. The Expendables 4 However, it became a box office bomb in 2023, grossing $51 million against a reported $100 million budget. while earning terrible reviews. This fourth installment was a reckless and lazy attempt at a cash grab with horribly undercooked CGI, and its complete failure marks the first time Statham’s franchise has failed so completely.

The failure of The Expendables 4 is even more disappointing given Statham’s box office success

The Expendables 4 was supposed to revive the series, not kill it

2023 was a productive year for Statham, where he starred in no less than four films. Quick X And Mag 2: Trench Both may have received lukewarm notices, but they still achieved financial success. Guy Ritchie Operation Fortune: Stealth of War was somewhat disappointing and nearly made back its $50 million budget. Still, Consumables 4 was undoubtedly Statham’s biggest flop in recent memoryalthough it quickly bounced back in January 2024 thanks to Beekeeper.

It’s truly impressive that 25 years into his career, Statham is still a sought-after leading man. He is someone who knows what his core audience wants and finds projects that suit his on-screen persona. Sad, The Expendables 4 felt half-baked from the start, upstaging series creator Stallone in a cameo and settling for a fairly generic story. involving stolen nuclear weapons. It feels like the creators of the sequel had little faith in it, and that lack of enthusiasm showed on screen. Of course, the highlight was Statham himself.

The Expendables franchise could have used Jason Statham better

Perhaps The Expendables: A Christmas Story really was the best idea

After disappointment The Expendables 3the series was in a funk. There were plans for an all-female spin-off called Expendibelleand Statham’s solo offering entitled The Expendables: A Christmas Story. Neither film came to fruition, although the fourth film appears to have used clips from these unproduced projects. Statham the best part The Expendables 4but there are only so many jokes and remarks he can make to take his mind off a lousy script. and unforgettable scenery.

Statham and Stallone were essentially the leads of the series, and the films relied on their easy chemistry. But with so many iconic stars, the films often felt episodic and unbalanced, such as the second installment stopping dead in its tracks to allow Chuck Norris to tell a bad joke about Chuck Norris. The fourth film positioned Statham as the lead in the next iteration of the series, but given its failure, a further sequel is doubtful. May be The Expendables: A Christmas Story In the end, it was the best option: to separate Statham from the rest of the cast for a solo performance.

Source: Numbers