Being in the entertainment industry for more than two decades and having acclaimed projects like Fury, and Training Day, under his name, David Ayer is considered one of the most experienced filmmakers of this generation. And with all that experience one might expect him to impart knowledge and wisdom on set.
However, it’s quite the opposite. Instead of imparting his advice or showcasing his skills on the set of his latest action film, The Beekeeper, David Ayer was humbled by actor Jason Statham. Being smart enough to know when to listen and when to speak, Ayer used that skill while working with Statham.
David Ayer’s Collaboration With Jason Statham
Working in several acclaimed projects and superhero movies, for decades, David Ayer has collaborated with a myriad of stars. But during his recent action flick, The Beekeeper, the director associated with renowned Hollywood star Jason Statham. Known for being the action icon in the entertainment industry, Statham seemed like the perfect cast for Ayer.
Discussing his work experience with Jason Statham, David Ayer spoke about his latest film during an interview with SlashFilm. Considering collaboration as the key to his business, Ayer noted spending hours on set with Statham to discuss the shots and figure out how to make an action scene work as effectively as possible.
While discussing how they both collaborated on the project, David Ayer mentioned offering Jason Statham the creative freedom to figure things out for himself. Considering the actor as an action legend, Ayer believed that it was better to let him figure out how to choreograph certain action scenes, with his years of experience.
David Ayer Recalled Being Schooled by Jason Statham
This creative freedom not only helped David Ayer make the movie with ease but also allowed him to gain wisdom from Jason Statham. Despite his years of experience in filmmaking, Ayer recalled being schooled by Statham while filming The Beekeeper. And certainly, the director was fine with it, for he even praised Statham for his encyclopedic knowledge.
Also read: Jason Statham’s Tough Guy Acts on Film Are Based on Real People He Knew From Childhood
“He schooled me. I mean, let’s be real: He’s an action icon, and he’s probably forgotten more about action than I know. He really raised my game. He really helped me get under the hood of, what is action? How does it work? And he has this encyclopedic knowledge of, like, literally every punch ever thrown on film.”
Further, praising the actor for his remarkable talent and his sense of how to present himself on camera, David Ayer mentioned that working with Jason Statham made him “feel much more confident about directing action”. Getting into detail, Ayer recalled how Statham could easily understand how a scene might appear just by looking at the lighting, camera angle, and action choreography.
“The great thing with Jason is, he can come in, look at where your camera is, look at the light, understand the choreo[graphy], and go, ‘No, you need to move the camera two feet to the left.’ ‘OK, throw the punch now? Oh, dang, that worked. Wow!’ So it’s helpful, in a way, because he’s laser-focused on getting it right.”
Truly mesmerized by Jason Statham’s extraordinary talent, encyclopedic knowledge, and experience in action flicks, David Ayer felt grateful to collaborate with him and get schooled by the actor.
