Jason Statham’s R-Rated Sequel Arrives Early Overseas, Beating Its Domestic Debut
The Beekeeper 2 is arriving early overseas, with Jason Statham’s R-rated action sequel riding the momentum of a first film that opened at No. 1, held the top 10 for eight weeks, and scored big on digital.
If you thought Jason Statham beating scams and dispensing R-rated justice was a one-time deal, guess again. 'The Beekeeper 2' is officially a go, and honestly, the rollout for this sequel is a bit of a tangled international web—so let me break down what you need to know.
Where and When Can You See It?
Germany is getting an early taste of Statham’s vengeance with a premiere set for January 14, 2027. That’s a day before moviegoers in the US and UK will get to watch it, with their official releases landing on January 15. So, assuming you live in Munich and you’re a huge Statham fan, congrats: you win the action movie lottery by 24 hours.
The distribution situation is classic big-studio spaghetti:
- Leonine Studios (based in Munich) snapped up the movie’s rights for German-speaking Europe. But heads up, that doesn’t include the 'Pay 1' streaming window, which Prime Video still controls.
- Black Bear Pictures is taking care of things elsewhere—namely, large swaths of the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia.
- As for the States, it’s business as usual: Amazon MGM Studios, who already handled the first 'Beekeeper', are back running point in the US, working alongside Miramax.
Who’s Behind (and In) the Sequel
The director’s chair has switched things up a bit. Timo Tjahjanto (if you enjoyed 'Nobody 2', that’s his handiwork) is calling the shots, working with a script from Umair Aleem.
On the production side, Statham himself is back co-producing, teaming up with Kurt Wimmer (the guy who wrote the first movie) and Chris Long. It’s the same folks who delivered the original, but with a new head honcho steering.
The cast lineup leans on familiar faces—and throws in some newcomers:
- Jason Statham is back as Adam Clay, aka The Beekeeper (the world’s least subtle undercover name).
- Emmy Raver-Lampman (Verona Parker), Bobby Naderi (Matt Wiley), Jemma Redgrave (Jessica Danforth), and Jeremy Irons (Wallace Westfyld) all return from the first movie.
- Newly added to the franchise: Yara Shahidi, Pom Klementieff, and Adam Copeland (who you might also know as pro wrestler Edge, which could be fun).
Production Timeline and All That ‘Success’ Stuff
A quick note for the folks who care about numbers: Shooting started in September 2025 (Tjahjanto dropped that tidbit on Instagram) and wrapped by November. So, three months to create more high-octane chaos.
Looking back, the first 'Beekeeper' was a surprisingly big winner at the box office. It hauled in $162.6 million worldwide on a $40 million budget—so, yeah, lots of enthusiasm for Statham’s senior-citizen revenge spree.
Reviews were solid if not world-changing: Rotten Tomatoes marked it 'fresh' at 71% from critics, while audiences were extremely into it, with a 92% score. But if you trust Metacritic, things were a little less rosy—53 from critics, 6.0 from users. (Frankly, these numbers scream ‘watch while eating popcorn, not while pondering the fate of cinema’.)
In Case You Missed the Plot Last Time
For newcomers: the first film followed a retired assassin (Statham), who goes full crusader after his nice old landlady gets burned by a phishing scam and dies by suicide. Cue a revenge rampage against the people responsible; classic Statham mayhem ensues.
'The Beekeeper 2' is aiming to keep that over-the-top energy going. Early release, returning cast, and, I’m willing to bet, plenty of creatively dispatched bad guys.