Last year the Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw didn't only bring together the two title characters, played by Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, but it included a pair of high profile appearances from Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart, in roles that seemed to hint at future possibilities should sequels ever come to pass.
However, recently it looked like we wouldn't need to look for a sequel to a spinoff to see some of these actors working together again, as reports indicated that Jason Statham and Kevin Hart were in talks to co-star in a new action comedy called The Man From Toronto. Unfortunately, it seems the team up won't be happening after all, as Statham has left the project.
When the initial report came out both Statham and Hart were only "in talks" to appear in The Man From Toronto and it now seems, according to THR, that Statham's talks never went anywhere and he never signed on to the film. It seems that Hart is still attached to the project, though it's unclear if he is still only in talks, or has officially signed on.
Either way, The Man From Toronto is now looking for a replacement for Jason Statham, who was set to play an assassin who has a run in with a "New York screw up" at an Airbnb. The need for that replacement is somewhat urgent as the movie is set to start shooting with The Hitman's Bodyguard's Patrick Hughes directing, in just about six weeks, with a release date of November 20 already on the calendar. The reason Statham's deal didn't close is unclear, but it's certainly possible the quick scheduling just didn't work out for him.
With such a tight schedule the movie is going to need to find somebody to replace Statham who is available on short notice. On the plus side, anybody who is available will probably be more than happy to take the job. The shoot for a movie like this, that obviously will have a shorter than usual post-production period, likely won't be that long. It's just a question of finding that right person who is available very soon.
If you're desperate to see Jason Statham and Kevin Hart on screen together again, there's always the possibility of a Hobbs & Shaw follow up. While we've heard nothing about such a film moving forward, the movie set itself up for potential sequels in such a way that clearly there was a hope they would happen. And Hobbs & Shaw made nearly three quarters of a billion dollars at the global box office, so the audience is clearly there.
Until then, it sounds like The Man From Toronto is looking to be a similar sort of action comedy as Hobbs & Shaw, and so it might still scratch that itch, if the movie can find the right person to work opposite Kevin Hart.
