Jason Statham's 20-Year-Old Franchise Seemingly "Dead" With Unfortunate Sequel Update

Though Jason Statham’s Hollywood career continues to flourish, the kibosh has seemingly been put on one of his older action franchises.

Among the ways Statham rose to prominence in the 2000s was through 2006’s Crank, where he played an assassin who had to keep his adrenaline going in order to stave off dying from a poisonous synthetic drug. The movie was a commercial success, resulting in Crank: High Voltage following in 2009. However, fans should apparently let go of any hope that Crank 3 will be made.

While speaking with Collider, Amy Smart, who starred opposite Statham in both Crank movies, was asked about the rumors about Crank 3 that have been floating around for years. The actor responded by saying she’d heard about a threequel potentially being made, but that “it kind of died” and she “didn’t hear anything more.” Check out Smart’s additional comments below:

That was wild, such a wild film. I love where Eve goes in the sequel; she’s like stripping now, with a heart of gold. It was fun. Jason’s so professional, he’s such a badass, and he’s so nice. He was always looking out for me and making sure I was comfortable doing my stunts, too.

Smart’s Eve was the girlfriend of Statham’s Chev Chelios. She was drawn into his conflict with Ricky Verona, who conspired with crime boss Don “Carlito” Carlos and poisoned Chev in an effort to take his place as Carlito’s primary assassin. Chev was forced to leave Eve behind at the end of Crank, and as Smart reflected, her character was working as a stripper when they reunited in Crank: High Voltage. However, Statham’s character once again had to leave her behind in the sequel.

Both Crank movies earned mixed reviews from critics, with the first installment ranking with a 62% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, and the second installment’s Tomatometer resting at 64%. While Crank was able to impress at the box office by making nearly $43 million worldwide off a reported $12 million budget, Crank: High Voltage didn’t fare as well with its $34.6 million worldwide haul off a reported $13.5 million budget.

Nevertheless, talk of Crank 3 began around the time High Voltage was released. In 2018, Brian Taylor, who directed both movies with Mark Neveldine, even expressed interest in making a Crank cinematic universe. Alas, the lack of progress on anything Crank-related, now combined with Smart’s new comments, indicate that this chapter of Statham’s career is truly over.

That said, fans of the actor don’t need to worry about a lack of action-driven projects from him. Among his recent credits include the Fast & Furious movies, The Meg movies, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, The Beekeeper, A Working Man, and, most recently, Shelter. The last of these movies, which was released in January and directed by Ric Roman Waugh, saw Statham starring opposite Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Bill Nighy, and Naomi Ackie, among others.

Looking ahead with Crank 3 in the rearview mirror, Statham will next be seen in Mutiny, which opens in theaters on August 21. Then in 2027, he’ll reprise the role of Adam Clay in The Beekeeper 2, as well as portray a comedic, fictionalized version of himself in Jason Statham Stole My Bike. Smart last appeared in the 2024 movies Rally Cap and Held Hostage in My House. Both Crank movies can currently be streamed for free on Pluto TV.