Latest news with #JasonStatham
Time Business News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Business News
Inside Stathamism: The New Film Exploring a Reddit Cult That Idolized Jason Statham
In the vast digital sprawl of Reddit, strange subcultures are not unusual—but few are as bizarre and dangerous as the cult that emerged around the 2006 action film Crank. Known as Stathamism, this now-defunct online community centered around the belief that mimicking Jason Statham's character, Chev Chelios, was a path to true spiritual awakening. The subreddit r/stathamism was launched in 2019 by a user under the handle u/sohobreadsticks, also known as 'Opal.' What began as an apparent parody quickly spiraled into something more serious. Adherents of the group believed that the modern world was a simulation—one that could only be disrupted or escaped by maintaining constant adrenaline, just as Chelios does in Crank. Members claimed that if your heart rate dropped, so did your consciousness. Initially filled with memes and movie quotes, the subreddit rapidly evolved into a repository of increasingly risky behavior. Users posted videos of themselves engaging in high-stakes stunts, from street fights to reckless driving and rooftop jumps. One user uploaded footage of a self-inflicted electrocution. Another discussed using medical defibrillators for 'ritual clarity.' While Reddit eventually banned the community in 2023, traces of it persist. Reports linked the group to multiple hospitalizations and at least one fatality that remains under investigation. The term 'performance suicide' began appearing in user-generated posts and eventually in law enforcement briefings. Despite Reddit's efforts to scrub the content, remnants of the group's activity linger through screenshots, reuploads, and whispers of a surviving Discord server. Now, Boston-based filmmakers Caden Ahmad and Aryan Chaudhari are bringing this story to the screen. Their upcoming film, Stathamism, is currently in production and has already begun attracting attention from internet communities that remember the subreddit's eerie rise and fall. 'I thought it was just another weird Reddit joke,' says Ahmad. 'But then I found this PDF floating around called The Crank Testament. That was when I realized people had taken this way too far.' The film combines real archival Reddit content with dramatizations, capturing the surreal energy and unfiltered chaos that defined early 2010s internet horror. But it is not just a shock piece. It is a darkly comedic examination of how irony and fandom can spiral into dangerous ideology. 'We're interested in what happens when satire stops being interpreted as satire,' says Chaudhari. 'This film explores how easily performance becomes belief, and belief becomes extremism.' Stathamism aims to critique the broader cultural obsession with true crime and cult narratives, particularly in the United States. With streaming platforms increasingly leaning into sensationalist documentaries, the filmmakers argue that society has blurred the line between entertainment and danger. 'There's a market for chaos,' Ahmad notes. 'And when it becomes a spectacle, it stops being questioned.' Though the subreddit is long gone, online echoes remain. Slowed-down versions of the Crank soundtrack have surfaced on TikTok. A YouTube video tagged with #ChevAscension re-emerged recently. And on obscure forums, users claim to be part of a continuing movement—one they say Reddit could not kill. Whether or not Stathamism was a genuine belief system, a viral parody, or a tragic blend of both, the film seeks to hold a mirror up to the internet age's most absurd and dangerous tendencies. At its core, Stathamism is not just a film about a cult. It is a reflection on the digital landscapes we inhabit, and how belief can grow unchecked in the strangest of places. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Jason Statham Hit ‘A Working Man' Gets Streaming Premiere Date On MGM+
Jason Statham in "A Working Man." Amazon/MGM Studios A Working Man — Jason Statham's hit crime thriller from his Beekeeper director David Ayer — is coming soon to streaming on MGM+. Rated R, A Working Man opened in theaters on March 28 before arriving on digital streaming via premium video on demand on April 15. The official summary of A Working Man reads, 'Levon Cade (Statham) left behind a decorated military career in the black ops to live a simple life working construction. But when his boss' daughter (Arianna Rivas), who is like family to him, is taken by human traffickers, his search to bring her home uncovers a world of corruption far greater than he ever could have imagined.' A Working Man also stars David Harbour, Michael Peña, Ilsa Gie and Jason Flemying. An Amazon/MGM Studios production, A Working Man will arrive on streaming on MGM+ on Thursday, June 26, according to When to Stream. MGM+ offers a single, ad-free package for $6.99 per month or $58.99 per year. Sylvester Stallone and director David Ayer co-wrote the screenplay for A Working Man, which is an adaptation of author Chuck Dixon's 2014 novel Levon's Trade. In an interview with Moviefone following the release of A Working Man in theaters, Ayer explained how influential Stallone was in his life and career and as such, how the script completed a full-circle moment. 'It is funny how life has these circles. As a kid I saw 'Rocky' and it made me want to work out and learn to box,' Ayer told Moviefone. 'But as a young writer, once I heard the story of how he had written the script and been so protective of it and ultimately got the film made the way he wanted on his terms, that inspired me to do the same thing with Training Day, which came together like a dream for me.' Ayer added that when he had the chance to work with Stallone on what became the final script for A Working Man, 'it just made a lot of sense.' 'I mean, here's this '80s action icon, this legend who really understands action. So, the script had a great starting point for me,' Ayer told Moviefone. 'Then to bring Jason Statham into that, who is really the inheritor of that action tradition from the '80s and '90s. I mean, you just don't have icons like that in the action space like Jason. So, it just felt like a great team-up.' A Working Man made $37 million in North American theaters and $61.6 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $98.6 million against a $40 million production budget before prints and advertising, per The Numbers. A Working Man debuts on streaming video on demand on MGM+ on June 26.
Metro
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
'Absurd' Amazon Prime thriller hits number 1 with viewers stopping weekend plans
It's Spring Bank Holiday weekend – but Amazon Prime Video subscribers are staying indoors to watch an 'absurd' thriller movie instead. A Working Man, which was co-written by none other than Sylvester Stallone, stars Jason Statham and Stranger Things actor David Harbour. The film follows Statham, 57, as his character Levon Cade, an ex-Royal Marines commando who is called back into action when his boss' daughter Jenny (Arianna Rivas) is kidnapped. From there, Cade – who had been working in construction after retiring from the Marines – is pulled back into his former life to confront the Russian mafia and save Jenny. A Working Man is directed by David Ayer, known for his work on the 2014 Brad Pitt war film Fury and the 2016 version of Suicide Squad, starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie. And it seems movie fans can't get enough of the Statham-lead action, with Amazon Prime Video subscribers apparently abandoning their Bank Holiday weekend plans. On X, @AKlay19 called A Working Man 'exactly what you'd expect a Jason Statham movie to be,' adding that it's 'a hard-hitting action flick that is quite fun when it leans into its absurdity'. @YoakoJono admitted the film was 'more of the same' from Statham and Stallone but qualified that, adding that 'these types of films are always entertaining'. Elsewhere, @IAmKalki13 said: '[A Working Man is a] typical Jason Statham style fast paced action thriller. No dull moments – an easy, entertaining watch!' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The film has soared to number one in the UK trending charts on Amazon Prime Video this weekend, ahead of new releases like the Minecraft Movie, Becoming Lez Zeppelin, and Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel. However, the film wasn't well-received by critics at the time of its release in March, with its Rotten Tomatoes rating currently sitting at just 49% based on 150 reviews. And on X, @CinemaAdictosss reflected its mixed reception: 'Well, it's another one of Statham's revenge films… Another one for the collection, but this one is very forgettable.' With that said, ordinary folk who watched the movie have put its Rotten Tomatoes audience rating at a much healthier 87% based on more than 2,500 ratings. Matt J said: 'It's a Jason Statham film, and it's exactly what one would expect…. High body count and lots of action with a decent 'save the girl' story.' A Working Man also stars Jason Flemyng as Russian mafia captain Wolo Kolisynk, Merab Ninidze as Yuri, and Michael Pena as Joe, Cade's boss and Jenny's father. More Trending Stranger Things star David Harbour plays a character named Gunny Lefferty, who is listed in the cast as Cade's best friend and an ex-Royal Marine himself. The success of A Working Man on Amazon Prime Video has come not long after the Prime Video release of Statham's shark-battling movie The Meg. Released in 2018, The Meg followed rescue diver Jonas Taylor as he leads a group of scientists on a rescue mission in the Pacific Ocean, as they encounter a terrifying 75-ft megalodon. Watch A Working Man on Amazon Prime Video. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Cornwall's ‘best kept secret' has become 'very sad empty shell'
The surfing spot of Mawgan Porth in Cornwall has seen a number of celebrities move in, with prices soaring as bungalows are converted into holiday homes and mansions are built up the side of hills A quaint beachside village, now known as 'Hollywood on Sea', has become a magnet for celebrities, causing concern among locals about being priced out due to the surge in holiday home conversions. Stars like Cate Blanchett and Jason Statham have snapped up properties in Mawgan Porth, a serene former fishing village in Cornwall that's now a hotspot for the rich and famous. The once tranquil surfing spot is witnessing a property transformation, with bungalows being turned into second homes and luxury mansions cropping up along the hillside. While some local entrepreneurs welcome the influx of wealthy newcomers, not all residents are pleased with the town's evolving character. Cate Blanchett, the Oscar-winning star from Lord of the Rings, is said to have been the pioneer celebrity to invest in the village's real estate. Following her lead, action hero Jason Statham acquired a home there, and they've been joined by other luminaries such as Imogen Stubbs, Jamie Dornan of Fifty Shades of Grey fame, Coldplay's Chris Martin, and the actor-cum-gastronome Stanley Tucci. Locals lament that their idyllic area has been 'ruined' and resembles a 'building site', with property prices soaring to 'unaffordable levels'. John Bradley, a retired builder who has resided in the town with his wife Barbara, 77, for 19 years, expressed discontent: "If you look across the road, five of the seven bungalows are holiday homes and do you think we're happy with that? People lived in one for 30 years and moved out of the country. "This guy bought it and as soon as he comes in he wants to take the roof off and put another roof on it. I gave him my views straight away. There's a place down the road which is rented out for £7,500. It's just ridiculous. It's not even in keeping." Mawgan Porth's picturesque seafront has become a hotspot for multi-million pound developments, luring celebrities and the wealthy to its shores. Central to the high-end property scene is a five-bedroom eco-home under construction by a Hollywood actress following her successful application to demolish the £1.6 million cottage she acquired with her playwright spouse Andrew Upton. Photographs reveal a cluster of 'Californian' style abodes that have replaced the traditional Cornwall cottages in an area once dubbed 'Cornwall's best kept secret', nestled between Padstow and Newquay. Residents have voiced concerns that the village is being overwhelmed by holiday homeowners, leaving it eerily deserted during the off-season. John, an 81 year old B&B owner, takes a stand against the rise of holiday lets, pointing out they aren't subject to the same stringent rules. He worries that such upscale makeovers could encourage similar transformations among neighbours, potentially altering the face of the community and questioned whether the local council should intervene more. "The only people benefiting from these second homes are the builders and gardeners. It keeps certain local people in work so in that way it's good but we have lost the community. I understand that when the top end of the earners have money, the most sensible place to put it is in accommodation," he said. "There's no doubt about it, it's safer than anywhere else, and any returns are going to be better than investing anywhere else. But it means that places like this become an empty shell and that is very sad. I would like to see celebrities contribute more to the community. I think locals are being priced out. "We've got a humble little bungalow, but every time someone comes and buys one, they knock it down and build some kind of monstrosity. I think it's losing its character because there is a lot of money coming in." He enjoyed the tranquillity of winter, confessing: "I don't mind it too much because I like the quiet. It seems a waste, but round here it's been like that. It is very holiday home-ish. It seems like they're taking away the character. I know everything has to get modern but that's not what we moved here for." Not everyone is as down about the fortunes of Mawgan Porth and the arrival of the A-Lister cash. Some locals embrace the change. Debbie, a retired local, said: "Lived here 20-odd years. It doesn't bother me. There are couples and families living in the posh bit. If we moved our house would become a holiday home. There aren't many bungalows left now but they were all like this. "There aren't many places to work here for young people to move in and get jobs. "Jobs are poorly paid so there is no way you can afford a house. It's a lovely place as long as nothing else gets built up." Stuart Kirk, who runs Betty's general store, suggested that Cate Blanchett's situation was not an isolated case and that the situation is a complex one. "Because she's a celebrity everybody latches onto it. It happens in every village around Cornwall, people buying up homes. So many houses have been bought up for stupid money. An old client of ours sold her house for £900,000 and somebody literally just bought it and flattened it and built something else in its place," he said. "It was just a three-bedroom house. It's not specific to this area; it's happening all over Cornwall. I grew up in the area. I've owned this shop for 21 years now but when I first bought it in 2003 the houses were too expensive then anyway. It's because of the location." When it comes to the village today, he still sees a lot tying the locals together. "We do have a very strong community here. You can come down here on a winter's evening and see a lot of lights on. It's surprising how many people do live up there," Stuart said. "But if they are holiday homes, they're always occupied. If you speak to any holiday home owner around here, they're always booked up. There is always somebody here; it's not like it's going to be left empty for three months and we're going to be turned into a ghost town."
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Our quiet seaside village is being wrecked by celebrities and second home owners who buy our humble properties for stupid prices and turn them into monstrous retreats - we fear we're being priced out of our own homes
Families living in a Cornish village fear they will be priced out by Hollywood A-listers as more movie stars convert properties into holiday botholes. Cate Blanchett and Jason Statham are among those who have homes in Mawgan Porth, a peaceful former fishing village. The surfing spot has become a destination for the wealthy, who are increasingly converting bungalows into second homes and building mansions up the side of the hill. And while some business owners embrace the newcomers, not all locals are happy with the changing face of the quaint town. The Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings actress was believed to have been the first celebrity to buy a property in the village. Imogen Stubbs, Fifty Shades of Grey actor Jamie Dornan, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Hollywood actor and foodie Stanley Tucci are also reported to have bought properties there. Locals say the influx of A-list celebrities has 'ruined' the picturesque village and turned it into a 'building site' - with prices being hiked to 'unaffordable levels. John Bradley, a retired builder, has lived with his wife Barbara, 77, in the town for 19 years. He said: 'If you look across the road, five of the seven bungalows are holiday homes and do you think we're happy with that? 'People lived in one for 30 years and moved out of the country. This guy bought it and as soon as he comes in he wants to take the roof off and put another roof on it. I gave him my views straight away. 'There's a place down the road which is rented out for £7,500. It's just ridiculous. It's not even in keeping.' The stretch of properties along the seafront in Mawgan Porth features a series of multi-million pound developments that have attracted the rich and famous. At the heart of the cliff-top scene is a five-bed eco-home being built by the Oscar-winning Blanchett after she got planning permission to knock down the £1.6million cottage she bought with her playwright husband Andrew Upton. Pictures also show other 'Californian' style mansions that have taken over the landscape of traditional homes in what was once called 'Cornwall's best kept secret' that lies between Padstow and Newquay. Some have claimed the village has been 'overrun' with second homeowners and is left like a ghost town in winter. John, 81, has run a bed-and-breakfast in his house for several years but says he is against AirBnBs as they do not have to comply with as many regulations. He feared that the renovations set precedents for other neighbours to do the same to their properties and worried the council did not step in enough. John added: 'The only people benefiting from these second homes are the builders and gardeners. It keeps certain local people in work so in that way it's good but we have lost the community. 'I understand that when the top end of the earners have money, the most sensible place to put it is in accommodation. 'There's no doubt about it, it's safer than anywhere else, and any returns are going to be better than investing anywhere else. 'But it means that places like this become an empty shell and that is very sad. 'I would like to see celebrities contribute more to the community.' One resident said: 'I think locals are being priced out. 'We've got a humble little bungalow but every time someone comes and buys one, they knock it down and build some kind of monstrosity. 'I think it's losing its character because there is a lot of money coming in.' He said it was empty in winter but added: 'I don't mind it too much because I like the quiet.' 'It seems a waste but round here it's been like that. It is very holiday home-ish. 'It seems like they're taking away the character. I know everything has to get modern but that's not what we moved here for.' One of his neighbours had been replaced with an Airbnb and he said the ratio of permanent residents and second homes was about half and half. He said: 'We know lots of people have got to our age and have passed away, the houses have been sold off and they become a holiday home. He said the area's reputation attracted the wealthy which in turn priced out locals. The resident added: 'People are being priced out. I don't particularly blame Cate Blanchett but it's people like that. 'At the bottom of our garden something is being built. There are a lot of people with money.' Debbie, a retired resident said: 'Lived here 20-odd years. It doesn't bother me. There are couples and families living in the posh bit. If we moved our house would become a holiday home.' The 68-year-old said: 'There aren't many bungalows left now but they were all like this. 'There aren't many places to work here for young people to move in and get jobs. 'Jobs are poorly paid so there is no way you can afford a house. It's a lovely place as long as nothing else gets built up.' But Stuart Kirk, the owner of Bettie's general store, said Cate Blanchett's situation was not unique. He said: 'Because she's a celebrity everybody latches onto it. It happens in every village around Cornwall, people buying up homes. 'So many houses have been bought up for stupid money. An old client of ours sold her house for £900,000 and somebody literally just bought it and flattened it and built something else in its place. 'It was just a three-bedroom house. 'It's not specific to this area; it's happening all over Cornwall. 'I grew up in the area. I've owned this shop for 21 years now but when I first bought it in 2003 the houses were too expensive then anyway. 'It's because of the location.' The 53-year-old said: 'I see it as an issue from a business point of view. When I took over there were RAF houses and you would get constant trade coming through the village but now we still see regulars of all ages because there are still people living in the village here but the whole demographic does change. 'Somebody elderly might have a house here but their family might decide not to live here so then that generation and that family's gone. 'But I do think housing prices have topped and are starting to come down now. 'We do have a very strong community here. You can come down here on a winter's evening and see a lot of lights on. 'It's surprising how many people do live up there.' He said the programme Playing Nice starring James Norton had been filmed there which had attracted tourism and interest. He had seen Statham a few times and Stanley Tucci and his family often visited the surf shop to chat with them. 'We are proud', Stuart said. 'It is quite nice to have the reputation. 'I don't think the population will ever phase out. I don't think it will ever end up where the whole village is holiday homes. 'But if they are holiday homes, they're always occupied. If you speak to any holiday home owner around here, they're always booked up. 'There is always somebody here; it's not like it's going to be left empty for three months and we're going to be turned into a ghost town.'
