Jason Statham is a massive fan of Sylvester Stallone, and apart from the legendary action star’s movies, he also admires his secret talent. It is true that the Rocky actor has proven his versatility when it comes to numerous aspects of filmmaking, yet fans are kept in the dark about his other abilities aside from acting.

Statham’s upcoming work with director David Ayer, Levon’s Trade, is based on Stallone’s script, which he adapted from Chuck Dixon’s novel.

During an interview with Variety, actor Jason Statham professed his admiration for Sylvester Stallone’s writing genius. He stated:

“We said, we got to do this again. And so, we’re now in the process of putting together the heads of departments for this new movie that was originally conceived by Sly. He’s a great writer. Some people are not aware of his writing talents. He writes great characters.”

Stallone notably wrote the scripts for Rocky, First Blood, and The Expendables, among others. His latest work, as per Statham, has been edited by David Ayer to suit the movie. He added:

“David, an Academy Award-winning writer, has tweaked the script and done a rewrite. So, we’ve got a really great movie that we’re about to start.”

The majority of Statham’s projects are action movies, and while it sounds tempting to try and join the superhero franchise, the actor is not enthusiastically up for it. He explained:

“I don’t have a big appetite for a costume, with cape and tights. I like old-school 80s movies. I was inspired by people like Stallone and Arnold. And even before those guys, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Eastwood. I just couldn’t see any of those guys putting on a cape, and a mask and going around on wires.”

One of the reasons why the Fast and Furious star has a distaste for superhero films is because the stunts are mostly done by professionals. It is imperative for Statham that actors should perform their own fight choreography.

Jason Statham Is The Worthy Successor Of Sylvester Stallone

With his upcoming project in 2024, The Beekeeper, Jason Statham admits his films have thrived commercially, but they remain undervalued. He is completely aware that people often shove action movies to the sideline in favor of more complex stories. He told in the same interview with Variety:

“Action movies are sometimes frowned upon in terms of their integrity, but around the world, people love action cinema. The more I travel, the more I can relate to the people that show me some real positivity in some of the stuff I’ve done, whereas in the award ceremonies, it’s very, very rare that the action movie even gets mentioned. I’m not bitter. I’m having a great career.”

Statham’s name has become synonymous with action films, though he admits he still gets the pinch-me moments in life. His transition to the movie industry served him really well, and his upcoming project with Sylvester Stallone only further establishes his status as the legendary action star’s worthy successor.