Renowned British director, screenwriter Guy Ritchie and action star Jason Statham have reunited for "Wrath of Man" after just a two-minute call to discuss the idea for the new movie.
The dark thriller sees Statham play "H," a mysterious loner who takes up a job at a security firm whose armored vehicles transporting valuables have recently been the target of deadly armed robberies.
With the attacks continuing, it soon transpires "H" is not after a steady paycheck but rather a skilled marksman seeking revenge for a personal tragedy.
Statham was working as a model when Ritchie first cast him in his 1998 movie "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," helping him launch his film career. The two went on to collaborate on the 2000 movie "Snatch" and reunited again in 2005 for their last joint project "Revolver."
Fast forward 16 years and very little has changed between the two friends, Statham said.
"The only difference is we're a little older and a little chubbier ... He called me up about this idea that he had. It was a very short pitch and I liked the premise. And I was quick to say 'yes,'" Statham told Reuters.
"I thought this would be the perfect story for Jason and I to be reunited on. It's not funny, this film. It's serious and the theme is serious and it's very violent, very aggressive. But I thought it'd be the perfect role for Jason to occupy," Ritchie added.
Ritchie is also known for his productions, including "Sherlock Holmes," "Sherlock Holmes: Shadow Plays" and "The Gentlemen." After "Wrath of Man," Ritchie will also release another film project with Statham. "Five Eyes" was started to be shot this February in Turkey's Mediterranean resort city of Antalya. After having spent two months filming in the country, Ritchie said on a Twitter post that he would like to shoot all of his films in Turkey. The director also paid a visit to Istanbul landmarks Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and Topkapı Palace during the filming.
For "Wrath of Man," based on the 2004 French thriller "Le Convoyeur," Ritchie enlisted an ensemble cast including Josh Hartnett, Scott Eastwood, Andy Garcia, Eddie Marsan and Holt McCallany. He also hired U.S. rapper Post Malone for a surprise cameo.
Hartnett, a former Hollywood heartthrob who appeared in the early 2000s hits "Pearl Harbor," "Black Hawk Down" and "Lucky Number Slevin," said he had quietly been keeping busy with other projects in recent years.
"I've always been sort of making really interesting films. It's just suddenly Hollywood is taking notice again and I'm getting offers for bigger films," he said. "It goes in waves. Hollywood's a weird place and I love it and hate it."
"Wrath of Man" opens in U.S. cinemas on May 7.
