Jason Statham Has A Specific Demand For Hobbs And Shaw 2
Jason Statham apparently has one specific demand for returning to Hobbs & Shaw sequel. Will the studio be able to meet it?
It looks like when it comes to his next negotiation for a future Hobbs & Shaw movie Jason Statham is going to make things pretty “easy” on the studio. In fact, if this latest report is true then there is only one person he needs to worry about when it comes to sitting down at the negotiating table. According to insider Daniel Richtman, Statham has a rather simple demand. He wants to be paid the same as co-star Dwayne Johnson. That’s pretty much it. A favored nations approach to contractual demands is a pretty good deal when your partner in crime is The Rock.
While this is simply a rumor at this point when it comes to Jason Statham and the Hobbs & Shaw film, it would definitely make sense from an opening stance on the contract demands. For the first film in the series, a spin-off of the Fast & Furious franchise, this wasn’t the case. For that film, Dwayne Johnson was paid $20 million dollars with Statham receiving $13 million. Though they shared equal billing in the title, the pay was disparate where the two actors were concerned. Statham wanting to correct this for the second time out would appear completely plausible.
And it wouldn’t be like Jason Statham was making some crazy demand when it came to the overall financials of the next film in the franchise if it were to happen. Though the film sported a $200 million budget when it came out in 2019, it earned around $760 million at the box office. A follow up film could net in a similar range considering the popularity of the stars and the franchise, as a whole, remaining quite profitable.
There is some sense that the Hobbs & Shaw arm of the Fast & Furious franchise will be how the greater story moves forward, meaning even more resources could go into these movies. With Vin Diesel signaling that the primary narrative arc of the original films will come to a close after the 10th main film, the franchise as a whole will need new stars to rally around. Considering the success of the first spin-off movie, Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham seem like the go-to’s there. And if Statham wants equal pay, then so be it.
It could be a rather tough sell, for Jason Statham though. While a fantastic actor and able to carry action films on his own, no one is putting him in the same stratosphere in terms of popularity as Dwayne Johnson. The latter is part of some massive productions and about to enter the DC Extended Universe as Black Adam. Meanwhile, Statham’s most recent release, teaming back up with Guy Ritchie for Wrath of Man which pulled a solid $95 million at the box office and scored 66% on Rotten Tomatoes. But it’s a far cry from a tentpole superhero franchise that Johnson is joining.
Next up for Jason Statham is another film with Guy Ritchie which is currently without a title. He’s also getting a sequel with Spy 2, teaming back up with Paul Feig for that film. Of course, the future is bright for Jason Statham and he’s a true and marketable talent. It remains to be seen whether he’s able to command the same payday as Dwayne Johnson when they get back together for the Hobbs & Shaw sequel.
