Jason Statham On For The Mechanic 2

Jason Statham’s 2010 action-thriller **The Mechanic **was a throwaway hitman thriller that was a lot more fun and a lot less po-faced than it first appeared. It had a terrific poster, a bit where Stath stuck on some Schubert (not even at gunpoint) and more double-crossing than a stack of hot cross buns. Simon West handled that one and now, according to The Hollywood Reporter{ =nofollow}, the monkey wrench is being passing to versatile German director Dennis Gansel for a sequel that will see Statham back in action as ronin-like hitman – or ‘mechanic’ – Arthur Bishop.

Gansel is a filmmaker who Hollywood has been trying to get its claws into for some time now. Back in 2008 he got good notices for The Wave, a pungent social satire about a teacher who establishes a dictatorship in his classroom, and terrorist thriller The Fourth State followed four years later and also impressed. The Mechanic 2 will give him the chance to show his wares with more a straightforward genre piece.

It’s no surprise (or major spoiler) to say that the first film left Statham’s mechanic at large and primed to get back to work. Expect more inventive offings from the cultured assassin, more doting lady pals and more cool cars.

The Berlin Film Festival may be better known for its art house leanings and auteur-y schmoozings, but there’s also a big movie bazaar attached and Nu Image Films will be hoping the appeal of tapping Statham’s loyal fan base helps win **The Mechanic 2 **backing from the money men present.