The “priceless” 2008 movie Jason Statham will always cherish: “It’s too much to put into words”
Jason Statham's new film Mutiny has reportedly flopped at the box office, struggling to recoup even a quarter of its $40 million budget after Amazon accidentally leaked it online a week before release. The article notes this is not unusual for Statham, whose films typically make their real money through streaming rather than cinemas, and uses the release as a springboard to revisit his 2008 prison-set film Death Race, which he has described as leaving a lasting impression on him.
Statham recalled filming on location at California's Corcoran State Prison, a Category 4 facility, describing the experience of walking through the prison yard and encountering long-term inmates as "priceless" and something impossible to fully convey on screen. Death Race, a remake of 1975's Death Race 2000 and co-starring Ian McShane, turned a modest profit despite lukewarm reviews and spawned three sequels, though Statham did not return for them, with Luke Goss taking over the lead role instead.
- Statham's Mutiny flops at box office after Amazon leaked it early.
- Statham calls his 2008 film Death Race's prison filming experience "priceless".
- Death Race spawned three sequels, but Statham didn't return for them.
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Jason Statham has built his career on a run of action films, many of which now find their biggest audiences through streaming rather than in cinemas. His latest, Mutiny, is reported to have underperformed at the box office after Amazon accidentally made it available online ahead of its official release, though this pattern of modest cinema takings is fairly typical for his output.
The story uses that release as a reason to look back at Death Race, a 2008 action film starring Statham alongside Ian McShane, itself a remake of the 1975 film Death Race 2000. It was shot partly at Corcoran State Prison in California, a real high-security facility, and Statham has spoken about how memorable he found being on location there among long-term inmates.
Death Race did modestly well commercially despite mixed reviews and led to three further films, but Statham did not appear in any of them, with actor Luke Goss taking over the lead role instead.