How Many Times Was Jason Statham Stung While Shooting The Beekeeper?

Jason Statham's next action-thriller, "The Beekeeper," is destined to create some buzz. The film tells the story of Mr. Clay (Statham) — a former operative for a secret organization known as The Beekeepers — as he embarks on a revenge mission. When he isn't killing bad guys, Clay moonlights as an actual beekeeper, meaning that he must get up close and personal with the insects. In creating his latest role, Statham also spent time around the sting-happy monophyletic menaces while filming the movie — but he didn't suffer for it.

While speaking with Empire, director David Ayer recounted the experience of using real bees on the set. Statham worked with a professional beekeeper in order to learn how to do the job, and apparently the insects were intimidated by the tough action star's presence. "Jason did not get stung," the director said of his leading man, though he wasn't so lucky himself. "I got stung pretty bad shooting bees later on," Ayer recalled. "But it was fine. You make a movie called 'The Beekeeper,' you're gonna get stung."

The report also notes that Statham insisted on performing his own stunts, often leaving his stunt double with nothing to do. The stand-in probably got off lucky then, as the trailer for "The Beekeeper" suggests that it was a tough movie to shoot.

"The Beekeeper" trailer delivers punches that sting and humor that goes down sweeter than honey. The plot revolves around an international phishing scam conspiracy that leads to the death of Mr. Clay's friend and neighbor — and that's the only motivation he needs to go on his revenge-seeking rampage. Some bees also make an appearance, but for the most part, the trailer focuses on Jason Statham's character unleashing mayhem on those who've wronged him.

Of course, the film's supporting cast is also buzzworthy. Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Minnie Driver, Phylicia Rashad, and Jeremy Irons join Statham for the action-packed thriller. Irons' character is the main villain, who wants to stop Clay before the one-man army gets to him and his minions. But that won't be an easy task, as Clay is the best of the best.

It's currently unknown if any of the other cast members got stung by bees while making the movie; however, the trailer proves that they got to see Statham throw fists. "The Beekeeper" will arrive in theaters on January 12, 2024.