Operation Fortune: Jason Statham Says The Script Was In Rough Shape

Jason Staham and Guy Ritchie's fifth collaboration together, "Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre," was not built on the foundation of a strong script, according to the actor. The pair must have built a considerable level of trust after collaborating on 1998's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," 2000's "Snatch," 2005's "Revolver," and 2021's "Wrath of Man," because Statham described the "Operation Fortune" script as being in "rough shape" before cameras rolled, yet he went ahead with it anyway.

"It's very unusual, because normally you have a semi-decent script that you're going to work with and you kind of know that you've got a scene that's gonna work for you," Statham told Collider. "You know how to navigate that day's work. But the script wasn't in great shape, and I think this is a position, in most situations, where you'd be panicking like, 'What the hell is going to happen today?'" 

The actor further explained that Ritchie likes to put himself under pressure on set; while not every actor is a fan of this improvisational style, Statham appreciates it because it brings the best work out of the pair. He described it to Collider as the best form of student filmmaking. 

"It's literally like student filmmaking,' Statham said. "But the most professional way, of course."

Staham and Ritchie reunited after a 16 year hiatus with 2021's "Wrath of Man." "Operation Fortune" quickly followed, and the two old friends fell into their regular pattern. According to the actor, changing things on the daily and reworking the script is something of a signature.

"It's a very organic kind of way to go to work with what Guy does," Statham told Entertainment Weekly while promoting their reunion picture. "He wants to change things on a daily basis, so you should look at what the story is but never get too attached with what the dialogue of the day is, because it's very much an evolving, moving type of thing. So, you just turn up with an open mind and you'll succeed."

Richie is equally impressed with his go-to leading man, telling Empire Online in 2021 while promoting "Wrath of Man" that he and Statham remained friends since their first collaboration on 1998's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels." Though both have seen their careers grow considerably since then, Ritchie said not all that much has changed between the two.

"We've been apart for 15 years? It feels like we made 'Lock, Stock' 15 days ago," he said. "Our relationship is identical to what it was the first time I worked with him; we're still playing a lot of chess."