EXCLUSIVE: After working together on The Beekeeper and A Working Man, David Ayer and Jason Statham are reteaming on action-thriller John Doe, with Ayer directing from a script by blockbuster screenwriter Zak Penn (Ready Player One, The Avengers).
The film will chart the story “of a man with no memory, no past, and no name — and only one face he can’t forget: Eliza. As fragments of his identity return, he discovers he was trained for a mission still in motion and is being hunted by the very people who sent him. With enemies closing in, John must choose between finishing what he started… or protecting the one thing that makes him feel human: love.”
Miramax is producing and financing, with Statham producing via Punch Palace Productions. Paul Schiff and Zak Penn are also producing.
Black Bear will introduce the film to international buyers at the upcoming Cannes market where it’ll be a strong commercial option thanks to the track records of the creatives and backers. Production is being lined up to begin in September 2026.
Miramax and Black Bear have had recent success with the filmmaker-star duo, having produced The Beekeeper ($163M WW) and A Working Man ($89M), respectively.
Fast & Furious star Statham remains a box office pull. His films have grossed more than $8.5BN at the box office. Upcoming films include multiple Black Bear productions, including Guy Ritchie’s Viva La Madness, also starring Ben Foster, Jason Isaacs, and Camila Mendes, and Jason Statham Stole My Bike, the meta-action-comedy from David Leitch. He is also collaborating with Miramax on The Beekeeper 2, alongside Jeremy Irons and Pom Klementieff.
Ayer is best known for Suicide Squad, Fury, The Beekeeper, and A Working Man and upcoming has Paramount action-adventure film Heart of the Beast with Brad Pitt and J.K. Simmons.
Penn served as a writer on three Academy Award-nominated blockbusters: Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, and Shawn Levy’s Free Guy. He also wrote or co-wrote films including The Incredible Hulk, X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand, Elektra, Behind Enemy Lines, and Inspector Gadget.
Schiff’s credits include Rushmore, Mona Lisa Smile, My Cousin Vinnie, and How It Ends, as well as the television series Super Pumped.
“We’re thrilled to be reuniting Jason and David on John Doe, powered by Zak Penn’s sharp, propulsive script. With wildly inventive action and modern themes that will resonate with a global audience, this takes the Statham/Ayer collaboration to a new level,” said Jonathan Glickman, CEO, Miramax.
“Jason is a singular talent in the action genre who consistently delivers for his audience,” added John Friedberg, President of International for Black Bear. “David has also firmly established himself as one of the top action directors working today. Their previous collaborations rank among the most successful independent action movies in recent years, and we are thrilled to deliver their third movie together in John Doe.”
Statham is represented by GGSSC. Ayer is represented by WME and Sloane Offer. Penn is represented by WME and McKuin Frankel Whitehead. Schiff is represented by Lawrence Kopeikin.
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