Jason Statham is no longer the only returning cast member for The Beekeeper 2. Jeremy Irons has just been confirmed for the highly anticipated sequel to the 2024 sleeper hit.
According to Deadline, Irons is set to return as Wallace Westwyld, a former CIA director serving as the head of security for Danforth Enterprises, in The Beekeeper 2, marking one of the few times the actor has reprised a role. Outside multi-episode stints on television, Irons’ only major recurring role on the big screen has been that of Wayne family butler Alfred Pennyworth in the DC Extended Universe. He made his debut as the fan-favorite character in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before returning for Justice League (2017), Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), and The Flash (2023). He also reprised his voice role of the villainous Scar from The Lion King for the Disney 100th anniversary short film, Once Upon a Studio, in 2023.
The Beekeeper was released in January 2024 by Amazon MGM Studios, starring Statham as Adam Clay, a retired clandestine human intelligence operative who is living a quiet life as a beekeeper until his kind-hearted landlady, Eloise Parker, commits suicide after becoming the victim of a phishing scam that resulted in millions of dollars being stolen from a charity she ran. With Clay in the crosshairs of both the phishing company and the FBI, he must work quickly to exact revenge on behalf of Parker. The movie became a sleeper hit for the studio, grossing $162 million off a $40 million budget while also receiving positive reviews from both critics and audiences.
There’s a New Director in the Hive for The Beekeeper 2
Clay (Jason Statham) attacks Wallace (Jeremy Irons) in The Beekeeper
Image via Amazon MGM Studios
A sequel to The Beekeeper was announced in February 2025, with Statham reprising his lead role and Kurt Wimmer returning to pen the screenplay. Unfortunately, David Ayer, who directed the 2024 action hit, was unable to come back due to scheduling issues with his Brad Pitt-led movie, The Heart of the Beast. Instead, Nobody 2 helmer Timo Tjahjanto has been tapped as his replacement, with production on the action sequel slated to begin this fall.
Miramax will once again produce and finance the movie, while Amazon MGM Studios will handle worldwide distribution. Jonathan Glickman, Thom Zadra, and Ali Loewy are executive producing The Beekeeper 2, with Statham producing via his Punch Palace Productions banner, alongside Chris Long for Longshot Productions, and Wimmer.
A release date for The Beekeeper 2 has not been set yet by Amazon, although it’s not likely to be in January 2026, as Statham already has an action thriller scheduled to hit theaters that month. Titled Mutiny, the upcoming Lionsgate movie sees the action icon in familiar territory, playing a former soldier-turned-cop who is framed for murder and must go on the run to prove his innocence. Fans of Statham can also look forward to the actor’s upcoming collaboration with Greenland director Ric Roman Waugh, which has been hyped up as “a classic” Statham action flick by his co-star Naomi Ackie.
The Beekeeper 2
- Director
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Timo Tjahjanto
- Writers
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Kurt Wimmer
Cast
