The Role in a $7.3 Billion Franchise Proves How Much Jason Statham Needs To Revive His 21-Year-Old Hit
SUMMARY
- Statham should consider reviving older movie franchises, like The Italian Job, given his recent success with Fast & Furious.
- The Italian Job could become a Fast & Furious replacement for Statham, especially as the Fast & Furious franchise nears its end.
- Despite potential financial hurdles, Paramount should seriously consider making The Italian Job 2 given the success of similar action-heist films.
Although it has been 21 years since The Italian Job came out and made $176 million at the box office, the success that Fast & Furious found suggests there could be room for this franchise to grow in popularity. The Italian Job‘s box office was comparable to the early entries in the Fast & Furious franchise, and the films achieved far greater success around the time Statham came aboard. With the box office total now surpassing $7.3 billion, there is evidence that The Italian Job could also thrive with a revival.
The Italian Job 2 Can Give Statham Another Fast & Furious Replacement Franchise
Fast & Furious Is Ending
Jason Statham should be motivated to revive The Italian Job too. The Fast & Furious franchise is approaching its end, with Fast X: Part 2 slated to be the end of the main saga. Additional entries could still be made, but Statham’s future as Deckard Shaw is very much unknown. That could mean that he loses his biggest franchise at the box office within the next few years. While he has The Meg as a suitable replacement in terms of an over-the-top action series, the hole left by Fast & Furious would still be quite substantial.
There is a chance that Statham could transform The Italian Job into his true Fast & Furious replacement. The films share a similar core concept; they are action-heist films with ensemble casts and a focus on cars. The Italian Job had a much smaller scope compared to the modern Fast & Furious movies, but a sequel could copy the recipe for success. The Italian Job 2 would feel even more like a Fast & Furious replacement if Theron and F. Gary Gray returned alongside Statham.
Why The Italian Job 2 Hasn’t Happened Yet
The Sequel Began Development In 2004
Ideas for The Italian Job 2 have been floated around in the years since the original movie’s release, but they have never come to be. Although scripts were written and talent, including Mark Wahlberg, was attached to return, the film could not gain enough traction. The biggest holdup for The Italian Job 2 over the years appears to be a lack of real momentum and interest on Paramount’s part to move forward with it.
The first movie was a box office success, so The Italian Job 2 happening would make sense financially. However, bringing back Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, and Jason Statham would not be cheap at this stage. The sequel would have to be made at a much higher cost than The Italian Job‘s reported $60 million budget to account for their participation and the likely larger-scale action sequences. Paramount’s hesitancy to do just that is understandable without a guarantee of a massive box office return, but Fast & Furious‘ success suggests that could be a mistake.
