The brand new Jason Statham January motion film The Beekeeper is what it suggests on the tin: a tongue-in-cheek, bee-themed motion comedy the place Staths doles out punishment to any dangerous man who has the misfortune of buzzing his manner.
It’s basic Statham stuff, however it’s a special type of mission for director David Ayer, greatest recognized for gritty crime dramas like Road Kings and Finish of Watch, and for 2016’s Suicide Squad. Ayer spoke with Polygon about working with Statham, his pleasure round taking up a special type of style mission, and his favourite bee joke from a film that has a veritable hive of them.
Polygon: What first drew you to the mission?
David Ayer: I received the script, Jason was connected. And the script had superb character, this actually attention-grabbing plot construction that simply saved crescendoing. I learn numerous scripts, and I already know what’s going to occur earlier than I flip the web page. And this one received forward of me. So I knew there was one thing there. And it was a chance to work with Jason, who I’ve at all times esteemed as an actor. Nice performer, nice bodily motion man, I feel he’s one of the best. So the chance to construct a enjoyable, soulful film round him was a no brainer.
What was your collaboration with him like?
What I actually needed to perceive is, he nearly has this unstated contract with the viewers about how he performs and what he’s going to do, and what he doesn’t do, and the way he’s going to ship for them. I needed to study his language as an actor, after which do my greatest as a director to showcase that and elevate it. He’s actually regular and humble off-duty. He’s only a common man, and he’s type of quiet. However then on set, he’s A-plus-game all the best way, and calls for everyone else brings their A-game.
I really ended up studying quite a bit about motion. I’ve shot numerous motion, however I’ve discovered extra about motion from working with Jason Statham than all my different movies mixed.
Like what?
He has an encyclopedic information of cinematic motion. So you are able to do a bit of struggle choreo, and he can let you know the place he’s seen that in one other film 20 years in the past. He is aware of physique kinetics, in the way it performs on digital camera, higher than anyone I’ve ever met. And so he already is aware of if a punch goes to promote — he is aware of it instinctively.
So we’ll be on set. He’ll do his factor, and he’ll comprehend it’s to not his normal. And he’ll [say], “We’re going once more, we’re going once more,” and [I’m like], Sure, sir. And you then go and take a look at the monitor, and he is aware of when it’s proper with out trying on the monitor, which is a extremely uncommon reward.
![Jason Statham smolders in a brightly lit room with fancy furniture and decorations in The Beekeeper.](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IVEHiPId_qTFEflEYf8o8Jff9-c=/0x0:5000x3321/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:5000x3321):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25214124/the_beekeeper_BK_08631_C__1__rgb.jpg)
Picture: Daniel Smith/Amazon MGM Studios
Second unit director Jeremy Marinas is without doubt one of the very best. What was working with him like? What did he carry to the desk?
Jeremy is a good man. Bay Space child, only a whole martial arts, karate geek. From the 87eleven college of exhausting knocks of stunt efficiency, he has this visible understanding of get the look and the choreography wanted on digital camera.
It’s a tricky sport now, as a result of the bar on motion is so excessive as of late. You go watch a film 20 years in the past, and it’s like, Wow, I do not forget that in another way. The viewers is so subtle, and has such a complicated eye. You’re at all times making an attempt to exceed that. And with Jeremy, you’ll be able to see it. There’s numerous motion. There’s numerous fights, there’s numerous stunts, and it’s progressive, it simply retains getting greater and higher as we go.
Which was the toughest motion sequence to execute?
I’d must say the fuel station scene. We did it early within the schedule. And in any movie, you’re type of discovering your sea legs, and also you get higher day by day as you’re employed collectively. I didn’t have a lot time to shoot it in any respect. So it was, OK, how do I creatively compress this a lot work into that a lot time? And I didn’t know if I had pulled it off. I used to be really actually anxious about it till I lastly noticed the scene minimize collectively and it performed past my expectations.
It’s scary generally. Generally, you simply suck it up and plow ahead and hope for one of the best. That’s what I feel folks don’t perceive about films, is that they grow to be their very own factor. They unfold the best way they’re going to unfold, and you’ll’t at all times management that.
One in every of my favourite issues concerning the motion within the film is how prop-based it will get. You’ve an old-school, nearly Jackie Chan vibe, particularly when Statham is utilizing the beekeeping tools as weapons, or within the name middle sequence, with the screens and keyboards. What did the prop-based motion carry to these sequences?
That’s the whole lot proper there. Jason Statham is taking part in the Beekeeper. He’s not [playing] a tactical motion man, with the pistol capturing. He’s extra about utilizing the surroundings and at all times realizing the place to place his fingers and what to seize subsequent, and use the instruments which are obtainable to him instantly.
And it’s additionally fairly enjoyable. It’s like, Oh, effectively, we will use a stapler, or we will use the cellphone, we will use the chair. And Jeremy was nice at constructing that out. It was additionally represented in Kurt [Wimmer]’s script, the concept a gun is a brief weapon for the Beekeeper, and he’s gonna discover one thing to harm you.
![Jeremy Irons, wearing a long coat, walks towards the camera and away from uniformed people in what looks like a parking garage in The Beekeeper.](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xxNGA4Q6hANPUbcIzC_G0EbYyU8=/0x0:5000x3321/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:5000x3321):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25221475/the_beekeeper_BK_11713_RC_rgb.jpg)
Picture: Daniel Smith/Amazon MGM Studios
You’ve this tragic revenge story, however it’s referred to as The Beekeeper, and there are numerous foolish bee references and jokes all through the film. How would you describe the film’s tone, and the way did you stability these two disparate components?
That was the toughest factor for me. I knew that was going to be my massive problem going into it, as a result of I come from numerous straight, intense, gritty drama. I wished to make a broad-playing film. I wished to make a film grandma would watch, I wished to make a film younger folks would watch, and everybody in between. I actually studied numerous ’80s films: [Richard] Donner, Walter Hill, [John] McTiernan. You see it in Die Arduous, you see it in Deadly Weapon, there’s a spot for the gravitas. There’s a spot for a human reality that’s grounded. And there’s a spot for completely simply going nuts.
I feel that’s one other ingredient the place having Statham actually helps, as a result of he’s such a humorous performer. Lots of people discovered that with Spy, however for these of us who’ve been watching his motion films without end, he’s a extremely humorous man. And he’s in a position to ship numerous these bee-centric one-liners in a manner that few different leads actually might.
That’s the factor. He can say something and also you’re gonna purchase it, you understand? And he has that voice. That voice is so distinctive, and that on-camera presence. He has that film star magic. And I really feel like a lot of that’s simply lacking from cinema proper now. You realize, that sense of enjoyable and journey and Hey, let’s eat popcorn and escape from the issues of the world for 2 hours.
And it’s not simply being quip-based, proper? As a result of there are numerous quippy motion films, however this film higher integrates it into the motion, which makes it much more enjoyable.
That’s the factor, it’s getting the whole lot to work collectively. And, you understand, I had numerous enjoyable making a style film. I’m not gonna say I wasn’t scared going into it.
Do you’ve a favourite bee joke or reference within the film?
Oh, man. I type of like Anisette’s [Megan Le] line “You’ve been a busy bee” within the fuel station struggle, since you instantly know who she is, what she’s about, and that there’s a relationship there.
The film has a closely yellow-and-black shade palette. Was that one thing you considered if you noticed the script? Oh, we wish to make it really feel like a bee factor?
Yeah, I imply, you gotta have the nice and cozy honey tones, and the golden gentle is a part of it. And with this one — numerous instances, my shade palette’s a bit extra naturalistic. I had a brand new digital camera system, the Arri [Alexa] 35, which is simply attractive, essentially the most stunning digital digital camera I’ve labored with. And I wished to reap the benefits of it. As a result of that polychromatic, colourful really feel of the film is unquestionably a perform of the digital camera. And once more, simply, as a filmmaker, exploring a brand new look, exploring a brand new model.
![Josh Hutcherson, wearing a green suit and looking like the kind of guy you definitely do not want to take home to meet your parents, smiles by some drinks in The Beekeeper](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8QH27casm3kySuc9Jn1CqW_oE8I=/0x0:5000x3321/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:5000x3321):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25214117/the_beekeeper_BK_05833_rgb.jpg)
Picture: Daniel Smith/Amazon MGM Studios
I’m glad you introduced up McTiernan, as a result of I feel there’s actually a few of Hart Bochner’s Ellis from Die Arduous within the name middle villain aesthetics, and numerous Wolf of Wall Road, too. What did you wish to evoke with that group of individuals?
[Big sigh] Crypto bros. Individuals with an excessive amount of cash, an excessive amount of happening, an excessive amount of of a way of self. It feels good to be a winner, however it’s not good to win at different folks’s expense.
Motion films with brief, nearly foolish titles have been touchdown effectively just lately, like Gerard Butler’s Aircraft in 2023. What do you suppose a title like this brings to a film?
I feel it’s essential. It provides you a container to place the world in. It’s so aggressive as of late, and there’s so many films. The extra you’ll be able to have a bit enjoyable with the viewers, be intelligent with it, however have it make sense for the mission itself, have it’s a part of the truth of the movie, it’s essential. And I’m actually thrilled how a lot folks have linked with that idea and run with it. And now it’s like, Catch the thrill!
To what you have been saying earlier, I feel folks wish to have enjoyable on the films once more, proper? And one thing like this guarantees you that proper from the leap.
That’s it, man. It’s like, Simply have enjoyable. I wish to go to a film. I don’t wish to be lectured proper now. The world’s robust. I wish to overlook my issues and simply eat popcorn and watch folks get their butts kicked who deserve it.
The Beekeeper is now taking part in in theaters.