Here’s a fun fact that you might not realize — there’s a new Jason Statham movie coming to theaters and VOD next week. You might not know that because there doesn’t seem to be any marketing campaign at all behind it. Anyway, once titled “Hummingbird” it has been given the far blander name “Redemption” stateside (something that only guarantee to make it sound even more generic than it actually is), but the main selling point around this one is that it’s the movie where Jason Statham Actually Acts (but yes, he does punch things too). And to thank for that? David Fincher it seems.
“Eastern Promises” writer Steven Knight, who is making his directorial debut on the film, recently chatted with The Independent, and revealed that Fincher originally tossed out the idea for Statham to lead this movie. “I’ve always admired his work and thought he’s got a great physical presence, but the ultimate clincher was David Fincher,” Knight told the paper. “When I decided to direct, I spoke to a lot of directors I’d worked with for advice and David Fincher no less said the only person he would cast in this role would be Jason Statham. I thought, ‘He knows what he’s talking about.’ “
Well, we’ll see soon enough if the gambit worked, but certainly Statham is stretching his wings a bit, playing a homeless veteran and former soldier and ex-Special Forces dude who is drawn back into action after his friend/street kid is murdered or something. But then the plot seems take on sex or human trafficking (or both) in what is certainly a bit more higher stakes for Statham than robbing a bank or transporting things. Mostly, we’re just fascinated that Fincher read the script and thought: “Statham would be perfect for this!” But maybe he’s secretly a “Crank” fan.
Anyway, Statham acts in limited release on June 28th or on a digital service of your choice. Here’s the trailer in case you missed it the first time around.