As a film enthusiast with a soft spot for British cinema, I must say that the journey of Jason Statham is nothing short of remarkable. From his humble beginnings as a diver and model to becoming an internationally recognized action star, it’s been a rollercoaster ride.
Jason Statham has spent almost three decades in the world of cinema, and much like a career that spans such time periods, he’s had his fair share of triumphs and setbacks, successes and failures. However, when it comes to Statham, a movie with a substantial budget usually translates into significant financial gains.
Regardless if they’re standalone adventures, partnerships with other action icons, or entries in high-speed vehicle franchises, Statham has consistently shown he can be a lucrative draw at the box office. The ten movies in his career that yielded the highest profit margins are featured below, disregarding cameo appearances. This means excluding titles like Collateral, The Pink Panther, Fast & Furious 6, and F9: The Fast Saga.
10 Mechanic: Resurrection Earned 3.15 Times Its Production Budget
In 2011, the film “The Mechanic” didn’t earn enough domestically to justify a sequel. However, its global box office earnings of $76.3 million against a production budget of $40 million doesn’t rule out a follow-up entirely. Notably, it earned just $29 million in North America, suggesting that the majority of its success was from international markets.
Overseas Saves the Day
The follow-up film, titled “Mechanic: Resurrection“, was more focused on action and had a grander scale, but unfortunately earned just $21 million. Despite sharing the same budget, it managed to exceed expectations in foreign markets. In particular, it garnered $104.5 million outside of the U.S. and Canada, demonstrating Statham’s global stardom and making the investment worthwhile.
9 Spy Earned 3.6 Times Its Production Budget
Statham wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with comedy when Spy came out, given his first two movies with Guy Ritchie had their humorously snappy dialogue, as did The Italian Job. And, for that matter, the two Crank films could somewhat be considered absurdist action-comedies. But Spy was a straightforward laugher, from Paul Feig, fresh off of Bridesmaids and The Heat.
Another Win for Feig
Initially, there was some uncertainty about how well Statham would fit into that particular genre, but it turned out he was perfectly suited for the role. The film as a whole is strong, and Statham’s portrayal of ultra-confident character Rick Ford is its standout feature. His delivery of intricate, absurd stories (which might not have been his own) is convincing due to his precise timing. Moreover, the movie was both critically and financially successful, earning $235.6 million worldwide on a budget of just $65 million.
8 Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw Earned 3.8 Times Its Production Budget
It was only a matter of time that Dwayne Johnson’s character Luke Hobbs would reappear in the Fast & Furious series, given his perfect fit. However, off-screen disputes with main star Vin Diesel caused a decrease in his role as the movies progressed. Interestingly, he didn’t appear in F9, but made a cameo appearance during the credits of Fast X. Prior to these two films, Hobbs and Furious 7 antagonist Deckard Shaw (Statham) joined forces in the film titled Hobbs & Shaw.
A Spin-Off Worth Making
It’s surprising that a sequel hasn’t been made for this spin-off yet, given its status as one of the franchise’s top performances. It was entertaining and worth revisiting, much like all of David Leitch’s films. Additionally, it earned $740.7 million globally against a budget of $200 million, making it a moderate success at the box office, even though it didn’t quite reach the heights of “The Fate of the Furious.” However, it did surpass the earnings of the subsequent “F9” film.
7 The Beekeeper Earned 3.817 Times Its Production Budget
“If there’s an undisputable sign that Statham is the top action star right now, it’s the movie titled The Beekeeper. Although it has a compelling storyline, its success can primarily be attributed to him. In contrast, another mid-budgeted action film called The Killer’s Game , also with an interesting plot, failed to gross over $6 million worldwide.
Statham’s Game
Was the movie “The Beekeeper” priced at $10 million more than “The Killer’s Game”? Yes, that’s correct. However, it also grossed an impressive $152.7 million globally, with $66 million of that coming from domestic box office sales. Notably, it showed smaller weekend-to-weekend drops for a movie in its genre, hinting at strong audience interest. A sequel may be on the horizon.
6 The Meg Earned 4.08 Times Its Production Budget
The triumph of “The Meg” wasn’t necessarily expected. Given that it was released towards the end of a busy summer film season, there was a possibility that moviegoers might have grown weary of frequent theater visits. However, through an astute marketing strategy, it turned out to be one of the season’s most unexpected blockbusters.
Chomp Chomp
Generally speaking, it’s not guaranteed that a creature feature will be successful, especially when it comes to giant monster movies. However, the recent surge in kaiju adventures has been promising. Nowadays, you don’t see many of these films on the big screen due to this uncertainty. Nevertheless, with Statham brilliantly taking the lead role, the Megalodon movie managed to make a significant impact at the box office. More specifically, it earned more than four times its production budget, which is an impressive feat given its high-risk $130 million budget.
5 The Fate of the Furious Earned 4.58 Times Its Production Budget
Similar to the two preceding instances, “The Fate of the Furious” boasted a sizable budget of at least $250 million. Despite receiving less favorable reviews than “Fast & Furious 6” and “Furious 7”, it performed well financially. Notably, it became the second installment in this franchise to surpass the billion-dollar mark globally.
Billion Dollar Fate
As a cinephile, I must admit that the latest Fast & Furious installment, Fast X, didn’t quite live up to my expectations. While it brought in a substantial amount of money, falling short by an estimated $100 million compared to its predecessor, Furious 7, on domestic screens is concerning.
4 Gnomeo & Juliet Earned 5.39 Times Its Production Budget
As a film lover, I can’t help but marvel at Jason Statham not taking on more voice roles. His gruff tone is tailor-made for villainous characters, and that’s exactly what he becomes in the family-friendly film Gnomeo & Juliet. This movie boasts an English cast led by James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, and the late, great Maggie Smith. While it wasn’t a critical darling for these talented actors, it certainly held its own at the box office.
Gnome Way Its Budget Was That Low
In awe, I must share that this particular production raked in an astounding nearly $200 million globally, with approximately $100 million of that coming from our home soil. Remarkably, the budget for this film was only $36 million – a figure that seems almost unbelievable considering the stellar cast. Fast forward seven years, and its sequel, “Sherlock Gnolmes,” sadly fell short in comparison, earning just $90.5 million against its production cost of $59 million.
3 Furious 7 Earned 6.1 Times Its Production Budget
The movie “Furious 7” represents the pinnacle of the soaring success that the Fast & Furious franchise can achieve, particularly financially. It built upon the growing acclaim that “Fast Five” and “Fast & Furious 6” garnered, featured Jason Statham as the main villain, and became a popular topic of conversation due to the tragic death of Paul Walker during its production.
The Most-Attended Fast & Furious
Indeed, it’s worth noting that Fast & Furious 6 was the initial film to surpass $1 billion at the global box office. To give you a sense of its success, Fast & Furious 6 earned approximately $788.7 million against an estimated production cost of up to $260 million (or potentially around $160 million). Furious 7, too, had a similar budget despite any adjustments for the Walker-related aspects, and it grossed an impressive $1.515 billion.
2 Snatch Earned 8.3 Times Its Production Budget
Two years following his appearance in “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” Statham played another character with rapid-fire gangster dialogue in “Snatch.” These movies can be seen as cinematic siblings. While “Snatch” isn’t a direct sequel to “Lock, Stock,” it shares many similarities.
Two Hits for Ritchie, Two Hits for Statham
This also applies to the financial aspect. Both movies had modest budgets, but “Snatch” cost significantly more than the movie that came before it. Nevertheless, even at this higher cost, “Snatch” managed to amass a substantial sum of $83.6 million worldwide.
1 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Earned 20 Times Its Production Budget
Prior to Guy Ritchie’s “Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels,” Jason Statham was recognized in the U.K., but mainly as a member of the British diving team and a model, not an actor. However, following the launch of Ritchie’s movie (which served as his directorial debut), Statham began gaining international recognition, including in the United States where it screened for approximately two months during limited release.
An Even Bigger Hit Overseas
Without accounting for inflation, the movie had an original production cost of roughly 1.4 million dollars. Domestically, it earned 3.65 million dollars, making it profitable on its own. However, Ritchie’s debut brought in a staggering 28.1 million dollars worldwide, which was a significant achievement since it surpassed Statham’s career earnings in terms of gross income compared to the budget.
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2024-10-13 03:35