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Twenty-seven years after their breakout hit "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" launched both their careers, director Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham have forged a tight creative partnership, collaborating on four more films including "Snatch" and "Wrath of Man." Today, Variety exclusively reports that the prolific duo is already gearing up for their sixth project together.
According to Variety, Ritchie and Statham's next film is titled "Viva La Madness," a black comedy in Ritchie's signature style. The story centers on a London drug dealer known only as X, with production slated to begin next January. Statham's production company, Punch Palace, and Ritchie's Toff Guy Films are both involved in the production, with Ritchie set to direct, write, and produce.
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In a fascinating twist, "Viva La Madness" can be considered a spiritual sequel to "Kingsman" director Matthew Vaughn's 2004 directorial debut, "Layer Cake." This is because "Viva La Madness" is an adaptation of the eponymous sequel novel written by "Layer Cake" author J.J. Connolly. However, Ritchie's film will be a standalone adaptation, not a direct continuation of Vaughn's "Layer Cake."
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Interestingly, "Layer Cake" was originally a project Ritchie was slated to direct, but he later stepped down, leading Vaughn—who was primarily a producer and had produced Ritchie's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch"—to take the helm. Statham acquired the film rights to "Viva La Madness" over a decade ago, with his initial plan to succeed Daniel Craig in the lead role from "Layer Cake." However, it remains unknown whether those plans have changed or if the character will be re-envisioned for the new adaptation.
via： Variety