“It’s an old school action movie like Lethal Weapon or Die Hard – fun, escapist cinema with a lot of Jason”: David Ayer on The Beekeeper

There are few of us in this modern world of ours who haven’t been caught out by an irritatingly effective online scam – you don’t even need to be elderly or technologically inept, but those who are, are most ruthlessly targeted. Who, then, better to take the role of the ultimate antagonist in a revenge action movie than those who perpetrate such crimes and conspire to empty the bank accounts of the most vulnerable in our society?

And so the premise of David Ayer’s The Beekeeper has you fired up from the opening sequences and right behind every punch and surgically effective move from beekeeper and former hardman, Adam Clay, played, of course, by Jason Statham. This isn’t a film that contrives to take itself too seriously – apparently, there were even more bee-related puns that didn’t make the cut – except, that is, when it comes to slick and seamlessly executed action sequences, aided by Statham’s prowess as his own stunt man and encyclopaedic knowledge of the genre, brought to bear on some eye-widening and entertaining scenes of destruction. Statham is one of the screen stars who seems to have become synonymous with the genre, and while Brits may hanker after his natural cockney ways, as so ingeniously put to work in movies like Snatch, there’s no denying he’s found his niche on both sides of the Atlantic that he never fails to deliver. His pairing with Ayer is a smart one, a filmmaker who found his way into the industry with some iconic screenplays, Training Day, Fast and the Furious and S.W.A.T, before also writing and directing the acclaimed End of Watch, Fury as well as the much-maligned Suicide Squad that was sadly butchered by the studio in its final edit (might a campaign still be running to see The Ayer Cut, we wonder?). Add into the mix Josh Hutcherson, unrecognisable from his Hunger Games days, and Brit legends Jeremy Irons and Minnie Driver, and you can guarantee a high-octane bit of escapist action drama.

The Upcoming had the chance to hear from Ayer ahead of the film’s release, which he likened to the action classics of the 80s and 90s such as Lethal Weapon. While in the past he’s penned his own scripts, he explained what jumped out to him about Kurt Wimmer’s screenplay, particularly its beekeeping mythology, and the film’s escapist nature. Ayer lauded Statham’s icon status, action skills and surprising humility. The film boasts intricate action choreography and a strong cast, including Irons and Driver. Ayer also teased his next project with Statham, Levon’s Trade.

Sarah Bradbury

The Beekeeper is released nationwide on 12^th January 2024.

Watch the trailer for The Beekeeper here: