Jason Statham Set for Epic Showdown With Jeremy Irons in The Beekeeper 2

Jason Statham is suiting up again as Adam Clay, and yes, the hive is buzzing. If you watched The Beekeeper and thought, this is shamelessly fun and surprisingly nasty, same. The first one quietly built a cult while making real money, so a sequel was always a matter of when, not if. Here is where things stand, and why the follow-up could hit even harder.

Statham is back. And this time, the bad guy is not hiding.

Jason Statham will reprise his very Statham-y turn as Adam Clay, the ultra-capable ex-human intelligence operative who once worked for the shadowy outfit known only as the Beekeepers. In the first movie, Clay delivered gloriously over-the-top revenge after scammers siphoned millions from a charity. It was cathartic, it was brutal, and it got people talking about a sequel almost immediately.

Jeremy Irons is officially returning too, stepping back in as Wallace Westwyld — that smooth, deeply connected former CIA director turned corporate security fixer who knows way too much about the Beekeepers. He mostly lurked in the background last time. This time, expect him front and center, sliding into full-blown villain mode. Consider that your signal the mythology is about to crack open: Westwyld is one of the few characters who actually understands where the Beekeepers come from and what they were built to do.

New director, same ruthless energy

David Ayer, who directed the first film, wanted to make a sequel and said as much:

"I really, really, really want to make a sequel. Everybody wants to know more. I want to know more, Jason wants to know more. And Adam Clay is such a great character."

He is not directing The Beekeeper 2, though — he is busy shooting The Heart of the Beast at Paramount with Brad Pitt. The plan is to bring Ayer back as a producer on the sequel.

Instead, Timo Tjahjanto is taking the reins. If you have seen The Night Comes for Us or his recent Netflix actioner The Shadow Strays, you know the man shoots mayhem like it owes him money. Encouraging sign: his Nobody 2 has already cleared over $36 million worldwide in under a month, which is a tidy showing for a mid-budget bruiser. Tjahjanto has even teased a rogues gallery of what he calls "Euro Trash Villains," which sure sounds like Westwyld might be assembling a very punchable international hit squad with a personal grudge against Clay.

What the sequel is likely to dig into

The first movie only cracked the lore open a sliver — Ayer even admitted the original merely "cracked the door a little bit" and said "there's so much more to explore, and it's another opportunity to work with Jason." That lines up with what we are hearing: The Beekeeper 2 should push deeper into the clandestine organization itself and pick up with Clay in the fallout from that explosive finale.

Timing-wise, do not hold your breath for a date just yet. According to IMDb, the sequel is in pre-production. Translation: it is moving, but no release window has been locked.

Quick refresher on the first film (and why this sequel exists)

• The Beekeeper (2024) opened January 12 and runs a tight 105 minutes.
• Directed by David Ayer from a script by Kurt Wimmer.
• Producers: Jason Statham, Kurt Wimmer, Bill Block.
• Cast highlights: Jason Statham as Adam Clay; Emmy Raver-Lampman as Agent Verona Parker.
• Plot in one line: A former operative from a lethal, top-secret agency goes scorched earth after a phishing scam drains a charity, leaving a body-strewn trail that wakes up his old organization.
• Box office: $152.7 million worldwide on a $40 million budget — a legit hit.
• Reception: Praised for Statham's commanding turn and gnarly set pieces; even critics got on board for once, with a 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The bottom line

Statham is back as Clay. Jeremy Irons is graduating to primary heavy. Timo Tjahjanto is in the director chair with a proven knack for crisp, bone-shattering action. Ayer is likely producing while he shoots his Brad Pitt movie. The sequel is in pre-production, so release plans are TBD. If The Beekeeper was the door cracking open, Part 2 looks ready to kick it off the hinges.