David Ayer Teases His Jason Statham-Led ‘Levon’s Trade’ Adaptation

2024 is kicking off with some action courtesy of David Ayer and Jason Statham. The director and actor are about to return to the theaters with The Beekeeper, a bonkers, action-heavy flick about an agent of a clandestine organization known as the Beekeepers who takes on a mission of revenge against the company responsible for the phishing scam that led his dear friend and neighbor to commit suicide. With national stakes that lead to the top of the U.S. government, Statham will get to show off his skills as he fights everyone necessary to restore balance in the country. After the dust settles, however, Ayer plans to join forces with Statham for another project that was announced late last year.

During a Q&A with Steve Weintraub after Collider’s special IMAX screening of The Beekeeper last night in Los Angeles, Ayer confirmed that, for his next film, “I am doing Levon’s Trade. I’m going back to the UK and doing another movie with Jason based on a series of books.” Filming was previously announced to begin in March of this year, something the director was able to reaffirm, adding “Yeah, we’re gonna shoot in spring.” Based on a novel by prolific The Punisher comic writer and Bane creator Chuck Dixon, Levon’s Trade focuses on the fictional Levon Cade, a legendary former counter-terrorism operative who has decided to settle down into a construction job to look after his young daughter. He’s soon forced to rely upon his skills once again, however, when he joins the hunt for a missing local college student. The search leads him deep into a sinister criminal conspiracy, but everything he knows and loves becomes jeopardized when his actions attract the wrong kind of attention.

Ayer may also be eying more than one Levon Cade film, assuming audiences are on board with the first outing. When asked if Levon’s Trade could branch out into its own saga akin to something like Reacher or Jack Ryan, he said “Yeah, there’s a series. It’s Chuck Dixon. He did a series of 10 novels.” Moreover, the series is right up the alley of the action favorite Statham, according to Ayer’s description of Dixon’s series. “It’s about a former military dude who punches guys in the face.”

Who Else Is Involved in ‘Levon’s Trade’?

In addition to Ayer and Statham, Levon’s Trade will feature another legendary action star and a former co-star of Statham’s – Sylvester Stallone. However, there won’t be an Expendables reunion on-screen as Stallone will only write the script based on Dixon’s book and produce through his Balboa Productions banner. This wouldn’t be the first time Stallone has written something for Statham. Previously, he penned the 2013 crime thriller adaptation Homefront, which saw Statham play a former DEA agent facing off against a drug lord to protect his family and his town. Statham is also a producer on Levon’s Trade through Punch Palace Productions alongside Ayer and Chris Long through Cedar Park Entertainment, John Friedberg for Black Bear, and Bill Block for BlockFilm.

Stay tuned here at Collider for more on Levon’s Trade as it prepares to film in London this March. In the meantime, check out our guide here for everything to know about Ayer and Statham’s latest team-up, The Beekeeper, which hits theaters on January 12.