Info in Movie News | It’s confirmed that Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham will be collaborating again in a thrilling new project titled "Viva La Madness," which is an action-packed thriller with the intent of bringing back the sharp, stylish, and witty tone of British crime stories that were the hallmark of Ritchie and Statham’s works. After a lot of talks and rumors for the past years, the two collaborators who have been the layers of cake and snatch, are back to plunge into London's criminal underworld once again, a place that is rich with humor, peril, and mayhem, but this time is presented to the new generation of viewers.
According to Variety, the movie is based on the J.J. Connolly’s 2011 novel continuation of the story that was first in Layer Cake. However, this movie is treated as a new entity in the cinematic universe of the novels and not a sequel to the movie directed by Matthew Vaughn in 2004 and starring Daniel Craig. Besides that, it is anticipated that production will be starting in January 2026, Guy Ritchie will be the writer and director, and Jason Statham is the only confirmed cast member as of now.
The story centers on “X,” a former drug dealer who wants to give up the illegal business and live a quiet life. However, his escape plan ends up throwing him in the middle of an international conspiracy of deceit, violence, and money laundering. The book charts his transformation from a laid-back Caribbean refuge to the grim side of London, where he battles against the Venezuelan cartels and the global crime syndicates. Ritchie is likely to employ his trademark style, quick-paced dialogue, cynicism, and complex narrative, which are very much like his previous works such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.
For the sixth time, Ritchie and Statham will be teaming up after a 25-year partnership the two had. Their very first joint venture was in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), followed by Snatch (2000), Revolver (2005), Wrath of Man (2021), and Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre (2023). The great synergy between them and Ritchie's brilliant direction are the factors that make Viva La Madness one of the most awaited British crime projects of recent years.
Though described as a standalone, many fans view Viva La Madness as a “spiritual sequel” to Layer Cake, revisiting similar characters and the same world of upper-class British crime. Collider reported that the movie will maintain the sleek, fast-talking underworld tone of its predecessor but on a larger, more global scale. Ritchie is also reportedly interested in expanding this story into a potential cinematic universe or franchise, depending on the success of the first movie, a fitting move given today’s industry trend of interconnected storytelling.
Jason Statham is similarly going to another big action movie to keep his momentum strong. He’s also got a project called Mutiny, a new-action thriller directed by Jean-François Richet, which is scheduled for an August 2026 release by Lionsgate. In the movie, Statham is a man who escapes the law after being set up for the murder of his billionaire boss. As he is chased by the police and a group of mercenaries, he has to prove his innocence and at the same time find out the huge conspiracy. Mutiny is reportedly a mix of the gritty side of The Equalizer and John Wick, thus, it is destined to be another action-packed chapter of Statham’s career.
Ritchie’s return to his cinematic roots with Viva La Madness, a world of sharp British wit, crime, and chaos, is what makes the project stand out among all the other projects ahead. The reunion between Ritchie and Statham is not only a nostalgic moment, but it also signifies a revival of the genre that they helped create. If everything goes according to plan with the production, Viva La Madness could be the stylish British crime wave coming back to life for a new generation of audiences, thus, it could be the kind of character-driven, adrenaline-filled storytelling which only Ritchie and Statham are capable of delivering.
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