Jason Statham Reunites With David Ayer on John Doe
jason statham is reteaming with David Ayer on John Doe, an action-thriller written by Zak Penn, with Statham set to play the Man With No Name and produce through Punch Palace Productions. Miramax is financing the film, while Black Bear will take it to international buyers at the upcoming Cannes market.
The project extends a pairing that already produced The Beekeeper and A Working Man, which grossed $163M worldwide and $89M, respectively. Statham’s films have now grossed more than $8.5BN at the box office, a scale that keeps him one of the most reliable names in the action business.
Statham and Ayer return
Ayer is directing from Penn’s script, and Paul Schiff is also producing. Jonathan Glickman said, “We’re thrilled to be reuniting Jason and David on John Doe, powered by Zak Penn’s sharp, propulsive script. With wildly inventive action and modern themes that will resonate with a global audience, this takes the Statham/Ayer collaboration to a new level,” while John Friedberg said, “Jason is a singular talent in the action genre who consistently delivers for his audience,” and “David has also firmly established himself as one of the top action directors working today. Their previous collaborations rank among the most successful independent action movies in recent years, and we are thrilled to deliver their third movie together in John Doe.”
Zak Penn’s action script
Penn brings a resume that includes The Avengers, Ready Player One, and Free Guy, along with credits on The Incredible Hulk, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, Elektra, Behind Enemy Lines, and Inspector Gadget. In John Doe, the lead has no memory, no past, and no name, remembers only Eliza, and discovers he was trained for a mission still in motion while being hunted by the people who sent him.
Cannes and September 2026
Black Bear will introduce the film to international buyers at Cannes before production is lined up to begin in September 2026. That gives the package a clear sales step before cameras are expected to move, and it keeps Statham tied to another Ayer project while Miramax and Black Bear lean on the box-office record of the pair’s last two films.
Statham is also collaborating with Miramax on The Beekeeper 2, while Black Bear has further Statham projects in Guy Ritchie’s Viva La Madness and Jason Statham Stole My Bike. The clean read here is straightforward: after two profitable collaborations, this is being packaged as a third and sold with the same commercial logic.
