Back in January, I goofed a bit on the upcoming film “The Man from Toronto.” From the plot description and the actors hired, Kevin Hart and Jason Statham, ‘Toronto’ felt like it would be your average PG-13 buddy action film with a big, cool muscle guy and his smaller, funny sidekick. Well, apparently, Jason Statham reportedly felt the same way, as he has bailed on the film, just weeks before production.
READ MORE: Kevin Hart & Jason Statham To Team Up For Action-Comedy ‘The Man From Toronto’
According to Deadline, Statham has decided to pull out of starring in “The Man from Toronto,” after it reported creative issues with the film. Sony is apparently still trying to get the film going before production, which is set to start in roughly a month, with Kevin Hart still attached to co-star alongside whatever other hunky action dude they can find. John Cena and Dave Bautista (or maybe a Hemsworth brother?) should probably hang out by their phones right now.
The report claims that Statham became disenchanted by “The Man from Toronto” when creative issues arose, particularly with the rating of the film. Statham is said to have wanted an R-rating for the action film, while Sony was pulling for a more broad PG-13. The reason for the more all-ages approach to the film stems from the studio’s November release date for the film, which could lead to a bigger Thanksgiving box office if the film skews more towards families and not adults.
“The Man from Toronto” is said to follow the world’s most dangerous assassin (formerly Statham) and New York loser (Kevin Hart), who become ensnared in a case of mistaken identity thanks to an Airbnb rental. Hilarity, and action, ensues.
The film comes from director Patrick Hughes, best known for his films, “The Expendables 3” and “The Hitman’s Bodyguard.” “The Man from Toronto” currently has a November 20 release date.