Before Matthew Vaughn was famous forKingsmanandX-Menmovies, and before Daniel Craig was James Bond, the director and actor teamed up for 2004’s crime thriller,Layer Cake, adapted by J. J. Connolly from his own novel. A vibrant and violent movie that never lets up with its cool style and quick editing, the movie was a critical hit and remains afavorite for fans of Craig.
ActorJason Stathamwas certainly a fan, and ended up purchasing the rights to Connolly’s second novel, which follows the same unnamed lead ofLayer Cake. Statham had big plans to turn that book,Viva La Madness, into a10-part limited TV serieswhere he would take on the main role. According toDeadline, he bought the rights with producing partner Steve Chasman way back in November 2013. What happened?
Viva La Statham
Viva La Madnesswould’ve kicked off with Statham’s character recovering from his gunshot at the end of Layer Cake and getting stranded in the Caribbean. That works out fine for him, as he’s in the market for a nice place to retire, but soon enough, the former criminal gets caught up in crime once again. As the excerpt from Connolly’s book goes:
“The plot of Viva la Madness goes international, with trans-Atlantic drug deals, money laundering and high-tech electronic fraud, described with the same uncanny believability. The anonymous hero of Layer Cake is pulled back into the drug game before he can enjoy a sunny retirement. From living the high-life in the Caribbean to a dangerous existence in London, with Venezuelan drug cartels toting machine-guns in Mayfair, the story moves from violence and farce to criminal insanity.”
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According to multiple outlets, the series was picked up by Netflix and produced by Gaumont International Television. In 2015, 22 months after the initial announcement, Statham and the CEO of Gaumont spoke withVarietyabout the show. “Viva La Madness, with its riveting characters and twisting storyline, is a volatile cocktail of action and comedy that only J.J. Connolly can create […]Viva La Madnessis filled with J.J. Connolly’s trademark dark humor, razor-sharp dialogue, and quick-fire violence,” said Gaumont CEO Katie O’Connell Marsh.
“Jason Statham, known for his roles intheTransportertrilogy,Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, The Bank Job, as well as the recentFurious 7andSpy, brings such strength and credibility to his characters but also has an effortless shade of vulnerability that gives him so much dimension on screen," Marsh added. Nearly a decade later, it looks like Katie O’Connell Marsh is an executive producer at Apple TV+, but there’s still noViva La Madness. Statham himself said at the time:
The way J.J. writes is so on the ball and authentic, it’s hard to let any of it go. Trying to lose characters or shave down scenes every other page didn’t work, we wanted it all. The best place was a 10 hour-plus show that lets you fully disappear into Connolly’s world.
Jason Statham’s Viva La Madness Was Scheduled to Film
For three years, there was no word aboutViva La Madness, but in December 2017, reports surfaced that filming was set to begin in the UK. AsScreenrantwrote three months later:
“The show now appears to be moving forwards again at a quick pace, asOmega Undergroundis reporting that the Netflix series based onViva La Madnessis expected to shoot from mid-March to the end of August. The bulk of the filming will apparently take place at Shepperton Studios in the UK.”
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And that was the last we heard ofViva La Madness. What happened? Perhaps the rights expired and Statham wasn’t willing to renew them. Or perhaps he’s just become too busy — after purchasing the rights forViva La Madness, Statham eventually got married and had two children. On top of that, he became an increasingly bankable star, joining theFast & Furiousfranchise in full swing and making giant, silly hits likeThe MegandThe Beekeeper. A 10-part series may just be too much of a commitment for Statham.
Or perhaps filling Daniel Craig’s shoes is quite intimidating; playing the same character he mastered inLayer Cakewould make most actors nervous. Though now that Craig is no longer Bond, James Bond, maybe there’s a bright future in which we can see him on that Caribbean beach, reprising hisLayer Cakerole inViva La Madness. Who knows what the future holds?
