Since the late 1990s,Jason Stathamhas built an impressive career filled with action thrillers and unforgettable franchises, so it is surprising that his highest-rated movie of all time also holds this notable record. Although Statham is likely a household name by now, the English actor worked hard to become such a staple of Hollywood. AfterStatham collaborated with people like Guy Ritchieand took on role after role in early 2000s action movies, he became a must-have actor in any action project. When considering his career, Statham has seen some tried and true success.
Of Statham’s many films, his highest-rated project is a movie calledSpy.Released in 2015,the movie follows Statham as Rick Ford, an arrogant CIA spywho protests when a chronically desk-bound agent, decides to take on a dangerous and important mission. The film was a major success with critics, earning a Certified Fresh 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers called the film hilarious and praised it for spoofing the James Bond genre without coming across as cliché. Ultimately,Spyranks as one ofStatham’s best movies of all time- but there’s more than one reason for that.
Spy Is Jason Statham’s Highest-Grossing Non-Franchise Movie
What Made Spy So Successful
As it turns out,Spyis not only Jason Statham’s best-rated movie - it is also his highest-grossing non-franchise film. In other words, of all the standalone action films that the actor has been a part of,Spyis the one that brought in the most money at the box office.On a budget of $65 million, the movie earned over $235 million. In this way, it stands withinStatham’s top 10 highest-grossing moviesof all time. Plus, the next highest-grossing standalone film,Collateral,earned almost $20 million less thanSpy.Its success has clearly been hard to beat.
$235 million
$217 million
Gnomeo and Juliet
$193 million
$176 million
The Pink Panther
$158 million
So, the question remains: what madeSpyso successful? One of the biggest reasons is likely the cast. Alongside Statham,Spyboasts A-list actors like Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law,Rose Byrne, and Allison Janney. Furthermore,Spy’sgenre may have had something to do with it. Despite being action-packed,Spyis a comedy at heart. This may have made it appeal to a vaster audience than a regular action movie would. It also helps that the film was directed by Paul Feig ofBridesmaidsfame.Spyhad many strengths, and seemingly, they mixed into an ideal movie.
Jason Statham Has An Impressive Franchise Box Office Track Record
Statham’s Future In Franchise’s Explained
WhileSpy’sbox office gains are definitely impressive, Statham’s franchise box office numbers are even better. Statham’s highest-grossing movie of all time is currently 2015’sFurious 7,which earned $1.5 million at the box office. TheFast & Furiousfranchisetakes up four spots in Statham’s top 10 highest-grossing movies. Under that,The Megfranchise andThe Expendablesfranchise hold two spots each. These statistics prove thatStatham’s greatest successes have been those that are part of a larger action movie franchise.Spyis a great Statham movie, but financially, it simply doesn’t compare to his franchise hits.
$1.5 million
$1.2 million
$760 million
$714 million
$527 million
$394 million
$311 million
$268 million
Collateral
It’s undeniable that much of Statham’s success can be attributed to his action franchises, but this trend does have the potential to change. Although the last few years of Statham’s career have been dedicated to movies such asFast XandThe Expend4bles,his most recent successes have actually been standalone films. The most notable of them is2024’sThe Beekeeper,whichwas a surprising financial and critical success. It seems thatStatham’s next projects will also be non-franchise films, at least for the time being. Thus, Statham may be setting out on a brand-new era of his career.
Why Spy Never Got A Sequel (Despite Strong Reviews & Box Office)
Why Spy 2 Should Happen
Spywas clearly a financial and critical hit, but it never received a sequel. It seems that the reason for this lies with the movie executives. In 2015, Paul Feig toldThe Guardianthat he was writing aSpysequel. Four years later,Feig explained that no studios were interested in the film, which is why nothing had ever moved forward. Most recently, in 2023, Melissa McCarthy revealed that she and many other members of the cast were happy to do a sequel if it ever got greenlit. In this way,Spy 2could easily happen with Hollywood’s support.
How Spy 2 With Jason Statham & Melissa McCarthy Could Happen
It’s been nearly 10 years since Spy with Jason Statham and Melissa McCarthy came out, but there is still time for a sequel.
Spy 2would be a very exciting project if it were to happen. Considering the success ofSpy,the sequel could bring in even bigger box office numbers for Statham. Then,Spycould rank among Statham’s other outstanding franchise successes. More importantly though,Spy 2should happen because it would have the potential to be a really fun and hilarious movie. Of the many movies receiving sequels these days,Spydefinitely deserves it. Plus, it is never a bad thing to get more screentime withJason Statham.
Spy
Cast
Written and directed by Paul Feig, 2015’s Spy features Jason Statham, Jude Law, and Melissa McCarthy in an Action, Comedy, and Spy setting. McCarthy plays a CIA employee relegated to a desk that helps her field agent partner remotely until she’s forced into action to help keep everyone safe.
