The hive is buzzing once more. The Beekeeper 2 has officially landed a global distribution deal with Amazon MGM Studios, signaling a major vote of confidence in the franchise’s future. According to Deadline, the deal exceeds US$50 million, underscoring the studio’s ambition to turn Jason Statham’s vigilante saga into a full-fledged action series.
Statham will return as Adam Clay, the former covert operative turned apiarist with a vengeful streak. This time, directing duties will fall to Timo Tjahjanto, best known for The Night Comes for Us and the upcoming Nobody 2. He replaces David Ayer, who helmed the original and is currently tied up with his next project, The Heart of the Beast, a Brad Pitt-led thriller for Paramount. Kurt Wimmer, who penned the first instalment, returns to script the sequel. With cameras set to roll this fall, the project is already drawing buzz, both for its returning lead and its new director, whose flair for stylised violence and kinetic pacing aligns with the world The Beekeeper established.
Released in January 2024, The Beekeeper was one of the year’s early theatrical surprises. Despite modest expectations, it raked in over US$160 million globally, thanks to a straightforward revenge plot wrapped in fast-paced action and delivered with Statham’s signature no-nonsense grit. Clay’s mission, triggered by the suicide of his elderly landlady after a phishing scam, served as a modern vigilante fable, giving audiences a reason to cheer every broken bone and shattered computer screen. Alongside Statham, the film featured performances from Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, and Jeremy Irons, though casting for the sequel remains under wraps.
With a production budget of US$40 million and worldwide earnings nearing four times that amount, The Beekeeper outperformed expectations both critically and commercially. Rotten Tomatoes showed a respectable 71% critic score and a glowing 92% audience score, complete with a Verified Hot badge (rare for an R-rated actioner outside the superhero space). That kind of word-of-mouth gave it legs in theaters and a second life on streaming.
As production gears up for The Beekeeper 2, audiences can likely expect more hive metaphors, more broken noses, and another mission that blurs the line between justice and vengeance.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace.
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