Jason Statham is coming back to the world of refined criminals, lethal alliances, and worldwide deceit in Viva La Madness, an action thriller directed by Guy Ritchie. Based on J.J. Connolly's novel, the movie focuses on a felon who wants to retire from his complicated lifestyle, but ends up in a even more perilous situation.
Production is set for January 2028, and the movie is expected to be Statham's first collaboration with Ritchie since Wrath of Man, and the second collaboration with Ritchie, who directed Statham in Snatch and RocknRolla.
Though the book continues the story created in Layer Cake, the new movie is not a direct sequel to the 2004 movie starring Daniel Craig.
What Is Viva La Madness About?
The new movie focuses on a criminal trying to retire after years of working in dangerous situations. His goal is to find a nice beach, leave behind his old life, and enjoy a stress free and relaxing life. He soon gets involved with an international criminal network.
The movie deals with situations of transatlantic drug trafficking, money laundering and electronic fraud. It also touches on the conflicts of Venezuelan cartels.
Ultimately, he fails to rise above the criminal world, and finds himself being threatened by dangerous people with criminal intentions.
J.J. Connolly's 2011 novel, which this film is based on, follows his earlier novel Layer Cake.
Although details concerning the plot are scant, it has been confirmed that the broad premise of the novel will be followed. The story focuses on a man trying to retire and enjoy his life peacefully.
One of the best aspects of this production is the possibility of a new collaboration between Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie.
Statham was first cast in a Ritchie production with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998, and has appeared in several Ritchie films since, including Snatch, Revolver, Wrath of Man, and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre.
Ritchie has a style that incorporates unpredictable characters, fast-paced dialogue, dark humor, and intertwining plots.
Statham is an international action star because of his physical presence and powerful screen performance. He first became popular with films like The Transporter and Crank, and more recently, The Beekeeper.
With Ritchie's style of intertwining plots of crime, and Statham's physical presence on screen, this collaboration looks to be a promising one.
Ritchie has also co-written the script with Connolly, meaning they've kept their connection with the original novel.
Beyond Jason Statham
There's a lot of familiar faces in this film as well.
Principal supporting actors for this film include Ben Foster, Jason Isaacs, Vinnie Jones, and Camila Mendes. Also featured is Babs Olusanmokun, Jonny Lee Miller, and Rauw Alejandro.
Jones has appeared in all of Ritchie's early crime films, so his presence in this film is another nod to the director's style.
Isaacs has had a long and successful career in major films and TV. Mendes has predominantly appeared in films and TV in the genres of drama, comedy and suspense.
Ritchie has kept the relationships between characters a closely guarded secret, meaning there is a lot more focus on the actors involved than the plots they're pursuing.
How the Film Connects to Layer Cake
There is one particularly important point to make in regards to Viva La Madness and Layer Cake.
Connolly's novel Layer Cake was adapted into a 2004 crime thriller starring Daniel Craig. The film focuses on an unnamed character attempting to leave the illegal drug trade.
Connolly continued this story in his novel Viva La Madness.
However, the film is not intended to be a direct sequel to the 2004 film.
Jason Statham is producing and starring in this film instead of Daniel Craig in an official cinematic sequel.
It is important to understand the books and films separately in regards to what is canon and what isn't.
Online searches about where to view films including kisskh adults are sometimes posted along with queries about film viewing websites, but they don't provide facts about a film's production.
The connection to Layer Cake is in the books and their author, not in the film viewing websites.
Search terms such as "kizzk" are regularly employed to discuss entertainment services in the public domain; however, they are unrelated to the movie's confirmed distribution.
The movie's theatrical releases should be verified by the distributors.
When Will Viva La Madness Be Released?
The theatrical release is scheduled for January 21st, 2028 in the USA.
This provides the production with a launch date, but how this is rolled out in various international markets is uncertain.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rescheduling of theatrical releases, distribution, and marketing campaigns, coupled with a worldwide reduction in film exhibit windows, made it difficult for productions to plan for age restriction classification.
Consequently, many releases are pending.
No extensive promotional schedules have been released.
The crime thriller has elements that should capture audience's interests; a crime spanning multiple countries, an internationally recognized cast and a connection to Martin Carr & Glenn Murray's novels.
There is also the possibility that Statham & Ritchie use their talents to blend sharp scripted dialogue with intricate, edgy and stylistic choreographed action sequences.
The movie could challenge the conventions of the genre. Only time will tell.