{"id":780663,"date":"2026-02-22T02:55:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T02:55:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/780663\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T02:55:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T02:55:25","slug":"jason-statham-looks-every-inch-the-hard-man-as-he-reunites-the-crew-for-sequel-to-london-crime-thriller-layer-cake-with-camila-mendes-as-a-gangsters-moll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/780663\/","title":{"rendered":"Jason Statham looks every inch the hard man as he reunites the crew for sequel to London crime thriller Layer Cake – with Camila Mendes as a gangster’s moll"},"content":{"rendered":"

By CLAUDIA JOSEPH <\/p>\n

Published: 19:40 EST, 21 February 2026 | Updated: 20:54 EST, 21 February 2026 <\/p>\n

As one of a trio of action-packed gangster films set in London at the turn of the century, Layer Cake was a box-office hit in 2004.<\/p>\n

Following hot on the heels of Guy Ritchie<\/a>\u2019s movies Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, Matthew Vaughn\u2019s film helped revitalise the British crime<\/a> genre with a stylish mixture of gritty realism and dark comedy.<\/p>\n

Layer Cake also catapulted its director and leading actor to stardom \u2013 Vaughn won an Empire Award while Daniel Craig<\/a> landed the role of James Bond<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And now hard man actor Jason Statham<\/a> is producing and starring in a sequel \u2013 and has teamed up with old pals Mr Ritchie and fellow tough nut Vinnie Jones, who appeared alongside him in both Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.<\/p>\n

Titled Viva La Madness, the British actor plays drug kingpin XXXX \u2013 Mr Craig\u2019s character in the original.<\/p>\n

He certainly looked every inch the tough guy as he began filming the action thriller last week in London\u2019s Russell Square.<\/p>\n

\"Jason <\/p>\n

Jason Statham (pictured) takes the lead in his latest project, marking his sixth collaboration with director Guy Ritchie\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Babs <\/p>\n

Babs Olusanmokun (centre) is teaming up with Ritchie for a second time, following the actor\u2019s role in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare<\/p>\n

\"Camila <\/p>\n

Camila Mendes (pictured) is set to star in the new film. Her specific character name or role details have not yet been publicly disclosed but she is believed to be playing a gangster’s moll<\/p>\n

\"Viva <\/p>\n

\u00a0Viva La Madness marks Jones\u2019 fifth collaboration with Ritchie, following Snatch; Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Mean Machine, which also starred Statham; and the Netflix series The Gentlemen<\/p>\n

\"Viva <\/p>\n

Viva La Madness is based on the novel of the same name from JJ Connolly, who co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation with Ritchie<\/p>\n

Mr Statham, 58, who has two children with lingerie model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, 38, has also cast Nigerian actor Babs Olusanmokun and American actress Camila Mendes as a gangster\u2019s moll.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She is tipped to become a huge star this summer with the release of a live-action remake of the He-Man cartoons \u2013 Masters Of The Universe.<\/p>\n

Viva La Madness was written by JJ Connolly, who wrote the original Layer Cake novel, and centres on a cocaine dealer whose plans for retirement go awry when he is ordered by his boss to do one final job.<\/p>\n

Mr Statham has said of the project: \u2018It has its own element of black comedy but very slick, very sophisticated.\u2019<\/p>\n

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