As we told you last year, the film helmed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad) will star Jason Statham (Fast & Furious franchise) and hail from producers Black Bear and BlockFilm. The screenplay was adapted by Sylvester Stallone (Creed), with revisions by Ayer, and is based on prolific comic author Chuck Dixon’s first novel in the “Levon” series.
Amazon MGM has signed a deal for a wide theatrical release in the U.S. Outside of the Prime Video international territories (where the film conceivably might go online only), Black Bear has sold Levon’s Trade independently to theatrical distributors in multiple overseas markets.
The movie will chart how Levon Cade (Statham) left his “profession” behind him to go “straight” and work in construction. He wants to live a simple life and be a good father to his daughter. But when his boss’ teenage daughter vanishes, he’s called upon to re-employ the skills that made him a legendary figure in the shadowy world of black ops. His hunt for the missing college student takes him deep into the heart of a sinister criminal conspiracy, creating a chain reaction that will threaten his new way of life.
The team is on course for to start filming in London this spring.
This is the second project we’ve revealed in consecutive days that Amazon MGM is expected to give a wide theatrical platform (after Chris Pratt movie Mercy), following the bombshell column on Deadline from filmmaker Doug Liman in which he criticized the studio for not releasing Road House theatrically.
Ayer and Chris Long will produce Levon’s Trade for Cedar Park Entertainment, with Statham for Punch Palace Productions (The Beekeeper), Stallone for Balboa Productions, John Friedberg (Ferrari, The Covenant) for Black Bear, and Bill Block (David Gordon Green’s Halloween franchise) for BlockFilm.
Statham, Ayer, Long and Block recently teamed with Amazon MGM Studios on the action-thriller The Beekeeper. The film has brought in more than $78M at the worldwide box office.
Statham is represented by Patrick Knapp at GGSSC. Ayer is represented by WME and attorney David Weber. Stallone is represented by UTA and attorney Robert Lange.
