It's a classic case of he said/she said this morning as it has been announced that Jason Statham has part ways with his reps at WME. That's how the story is being sold but you might get a different answer on who cut ties first depending on who you ask.
Although neither side has officially made a statement, "The Hollywood Reporter" reports that both sides are trying to say they pulled the trigger first. What is known for sure is that this all has to do with Statham's abrupt exit from the Kevin Hart action-comedy, THE MAN FROM TORONTO. Statham was set to co-star with Hart in the film and his reps helped score him a reported $10 million payday. After Statham agreed to do the movie his one demand was that the film be R-rated and it was a battle he simply couldn't win against Sony Pictures. With a November 20, 2020 release date, the studio is hoping to gain box office traction during the family-friendly Thanksgiving weekend period and that was something they believed they couldn't do with an R-rating.
Per "The Hollywood Reporter", Statham then went to his reps at WME and insisted he wanted out of the project. His team, led by Patrick Whitesell, reportedly counseled the actor to stay on and not just because of the big payday he was set to earn but also because leaving a project so soon before it starts shooting isn't a good look & can be perceived as unprofessional. The studio was willing to stick to the $10 million fee for Statham, only if he agreed to the PG-13 rating but he refused and walked.
As we reported yesterday, Woody Harrelson has stepped in to replace Statham and the film is still on track to begin month to make its November release date. As for Statham, he's going to need new representation which may be a little daunting considering some insiders believe he has a pretty big ego. THE MAN FROM TORONTO incident isn't the first time Statham has made demands on projects. Statham insisted on a clause in his FAST & FURIOUS contracts prohibiting his character from being beaten up too badly, a request that FAST stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson also made. Doesn't hearing all this make you think some of these guys are just divas with too much pride?
Do YOU think Statham was right to stick to his guns on this one?