Jason Statham’s Shocking New Beard Has Fans Convinced an R-Rated Action Sequel Is Coming
Jason Statham’s rugged new beard turned heads at a high-profile event, fueling talk that the action star is gearing up for a sequel to his recent R-rated smash. Details are tight, but the transformation has fans and insiders on alert.
Jason Statham turned up to a big-ticket boxing match with a very specific beard, and yeah, that set off alarms. The look screams Adam Clay, which has fans (and, let’s be honest, me) thinking The Beekeeper 2 is finally shifting from rumor mill to reality.
The beard watch
Statham hit the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight on September 13 and did some red carpet press rocking what can only be described as the Beekeeper beard. Netflix even blasted out a clip the next day. It’s the kind of inside-baseball clue actors drop when cameras are about to roll, and it lines up with reports that production is starting soon.
- Sequel status: Amazon MGM Studios announced The Beekeeper 2 in February 2025 and confirmed Jason Statham is back as Adam Clay.
- Returning cast: Jeremy Irons is also back as Wallace Westwyld.
- Director swap: David Ayer isn’t returning due to work on Heart of the Beast. Timo Tjahjanto, known for Nobody 2, is taking over.
- Writer: Kurt Wimmer, who penned the first film, is back on the script.
- When and where: Reports point to filming in London in fall 2025. Collider also flagged a fall start, and Statham’s beard absolutely supports that timeline.
- Release plan: The studio hasn’t planted a flag yet, but insiders expect a summer 2026 window.
- The competition: If it lands summer 2026, it’ll be jockeying with Mortal Kombat II, Toy Story 5, Supergirl, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Why the first one matters here
The Beekeeper quietly became one of Statham’s strongest solo box office performances of the last decade (outside the Fast & Furious and The Meg franchises). It opened in January 2024, debuted at No. 1 in the U.S., stuck in the top five for five straight weeks, and pulled in $162 million worldwide. Audience response was loud too: a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter. No wonder the sequel moved fast once it was greenlit.
Bottom line
Nothing is officially official until Amazon MGM slaps a date on it, but the beard is a pretty reliable tell. If the London shoot kicks off this fall as reported, The Beekeeper 2 aiming for summer 2026 tracks.
First reported by Vritti Johar at SuperHeroHype.