The actor Jason Statham has appeared in numerous action blockbusters. He had to leave a trilogy for the fourth part because he demanded too high a salary.
How much did he demand? For his appearance in The Transporter Refueled, Statham reportedly demanded $11 million, which is about 9.5 million euros. The actor was already the protagonist Frank Martin in the previous three parts of the series and thus the face of the trilogy. The offer was reportedly too much for the production team at EuropaCorp.
According to a statement by Statham at Vulture, however, the opposite was true. The $11 million was supposed to be for three new films, which felt like a pittance to him. He claims he did not accept the deal on his own accord.
Ultimately, there was never a trilogy. The film grossed only $72 million against a budget of $22 million, according to Box Office Mojo, which probably was too little for the creators. Additionally, the film did not resonate well with the audience (see IMDb).
Successor for Statham is known from Game of Thrones
Who took his place? Whichever side declined the offer, the production team was looking for a worthy replacement. They asked the British actor Ed Skrein if he wanted to take on the role of Frank Martin. It is not known what budget Skrein received.
You may know the actor as Ajax from Deadpool or as Daario Naharis from Game of Thrones. Even today, the actor appears in many films, including Jurassic World Rebirth and Rebel Moon.
What is The Transporter about? Frank Martin from the Transporter trilogy is a former elite soldier who now works as a freelance transporter. He discreetly transports packages and sometimes people from A to B. He strictly adheres to three rules that he never breaks:
- Never change the deal.
- No names.
- Never open the package.
However, he is sometimes forced to disregard one of his rules, which gets him into trouble. The films include exciting car chases and martial arts fights.
Jason Statham has always played similar roles. He himself would like to take on more dramatic roles, but he also knows that he sells better as a cool action hero: “You can’t blame them for wanting to make money”: Jason Statham explains why he has been playing the same role for 25 years
