Jason Statham's Next Big Action Movie Gets an Official Update From Original Director

Original Beekeeper director comments on sequel's development after passing the baton

Director David Ayer worked with Jason Statham on The Beekeeper (2024) and A Working Man (2025), two intense, action-packed movies. A sequel for the former is in development, but Ayer will not be the one taking charge. In an interview with Polygon, he revealed that he is still interested in seeing how it turns out but has not had a chance to see it yet.

The Beekeeper was one of the most well-received Jason Statham action movies. It has a strong revenge story that makes it stand out in the actor's filmography, with pesky cryptobros as the bad guys, a sweet old woman in need of justice, and, of course, Statham's character coming out of retirement stronger than ever. It was written by Kurt Wimmer, who made sure to add tons of fun bee puns, and directed by David Ayer, who had already worked on plenty of military-focused action films.

The Beekeeper director is excited about the sequel

The story of The Beekeeper didn't feel like it ended when the credits started rolling, so there was no surprise when a sequel was announced. Despite this being a continuation of the original story, the movie might have a different vibe to it, as both the original director and writer have been replaced. David Ayer handed the baton to Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes for Us, The Shadow Strays) as director of The Beekeeper 2. Additionally, Umair Aleem was chosen as the movie's writer.

The Beekeeper had some notoriously shocking scenes, including one where Statham's character, Adam Clay, ties a guy, whose fingers he previously cut off, to a car and then throws it off a bridge. Fans can expect more of these scenes in The Beekeeper 2, as Tjahjanto is known for gory action films. From the first-look shown at CinemaCon in April, we know that at some point, Clay is going to shove a flamethrower in someone's mouth and set it ablaze.

Polygon asked David Ayer if he could give us an update on The Beekeeper 2. Unfortunately, he has not seen it yet. However, he noted that he's very excited about it and is confident that it will be an amazing movie, as Jason Statham is an incredible actor to work with.

It's likely that some production work is still ongoing on the movie, but it should wrap up soon, as The Beekeeper 2 is set to release on Jan.15, 2027, two years after its predecessor.