Action star Jason Statham (The Meg) is reuniting with frequent collaborator Guy Ritchie (Snatch) for Viva La Madness, an adaptation to J.J. Connolly’s novel of the same name, which itself was a follow-up to his novel, Layer Cake. The latter was adapted for the big screen by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) and Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) in 2004.
Even though Statham is stepping into the role portrayed by Craig in the 2004 film, Viva La Madness is being billed as a stand-alone, original feature and not a sequel, spin-off or continuation of any previous adaptation of Connolly’s work (via Variety).
So what can we expect from it? Here’s the rub, via Amazon: Viva la Madness moves to international crime with trans-Atlantic drug deals, money laundering and high-tech electronic fraud, portrayed with the same uncanny believability. The anonymous hero of Layer Cake is pulled back into the drug game before he can escape to a sunny retirement.
Production is set to begin early next year from Black Bear Pictures.
Expect more updates from Viva La Madness in the future! Until then, here’s the Trailer for Layer Cake:
